Twilight Maiden
by Ginger Sheikah
Summary: "This was one of the rare moments where he found the maiden goddess alone. This was one of the moments where he fought against himself to come to her, to take her as his own." Hidden from the world by a protective mother, the young goddess has unknowingly captured the desires of Hades, the god of the Underworld.
1. The Man in Shadow

****IMPORTANT UPDATE BELOW****

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 **HADES**

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There she was.

Under the haze of dusk, Hades caught a glimpse of the slim figure wandering silently through the waving branches of the willow trees. Her fingers trailed over the soft green tendrils and a ghost of a smile formed on her bow-shaped lips.

The god of the Underworld's heart wrenched at the sight of her delight. Wrenched because he was not the one to give her any pleasure, though she had given him countless moments of joy.

She knew nothing of him, other than tales told by her father, undoubtedly riddled with bias and lies. In turn, he knew everything of her. He had heard rumors of the beautiful daughter of Demeter and Zeus, hidden away from the eyes of Olympus by her protective mother. Hushed whispers spoke that the young goddess was even more beautiful than Aphrodite and that Demeter wished to keep her safe from the lustful gods and a jealous goddess that would not take kindly to any rivals.

Persephone was her name, but he soon learned that she was called Kore by her mother and the many nymphs that were her companions.

It was by chance that he had first encountered her, accidentally finding her hiding place with no intentions of trying to discover the elusive young maiden. Yet after he did, how could he stay away?

When he first laid eyes on her, she had been bathing in a stream, surrounded by a thick grove of trees. Her features were familiar and instinct told him that this was a daughter of Zeus.

So beautiful and flawless was this maiden, Hades could not help but become wickedly entranced. He could not tear his eyes away from the sight of her. Water swished gracefully around her waist as she waded through the softly flowing stream. The maiden was unknowingly facing him, her gleaming wet hair streaming down her pale skin, covering her chest as if knowing that prying eyes were gazing on her.

It took every ounce of power he possessed not to go to Persephone, to resist the urge to touch her bare skin, to draw her body close to his. He drank her in as he watched her, burning with a long-forgotten fire deep in his bones.

Since then, he had come dozens of times to see the goddess. Hiding in secret, cloaked by the shadows that he knew so well, Hades had watched her.

They were fleeting moments for he feared being discovered by the nymphs that were constantly at Persephone's side. Hades, knowing Demeter's fiercely protective nature, believed the nymphs to be guardians of a sort, not so much friends for the young Persephone. Even worse was to be discovered by Demeter herself. To find the god of the Underworld besotted by her precious daughter would surely anger the goddess in way that Hades did not care to incur.

At least, not for the moment.

So Persephone would not know of him, not until the time was right.

This was one of the rare moments where he found the maiden goddess alone. This was one of the moments where he fought against himself to come to her, to take her as his own.

Barefooted, she delicately glided over the grass and through the grove of willow trees. Under the dimly lit twilight sky, her skin glowed like the moon. A white silk dress swirled around her smooth legs. The thin, nearly sheer fabric hung over her womanly curves, innocently and agonizingly tempting.

The goddess walked over to a small patch of narcissus flowers. She bent on one knee and plucked a blossom out of the ground. Her hair fell in long, luscious waves as she did so.

Persephone was blonde, but not the sunny blonde of Aphrodite. Rather, she was an ashen blonde, not bright and brassy but soft and demure, like twilight compared to the sunshine.

Hades always did prefer the night to the day.

How could the gods ever create anything so lovely and pure to live in such a cruel world? It was no wonder that Demeter sought to protect her, to hide her from the likes of Hades and his growing desires…

Persephone stood to her feet, the pure white petals held in her delicate hands. As she drew nearer to him, Hades felt his body give in to his mind's urges. He took a step towards the maiden, coming ever so slightly out of the shadows. If she looked up now, she would surely spot the god hiding in the shadows.

As sure as the sunrise, a quiet "snap" of a branch beneath his feet broke the calm evening atmosphere.

Hazel eyes rimmed by thick, dark lashes slowly looked up to find the source of the sudden noise. For the first time, the maiden returned her admirer's gaze. Hades stood as still as stone and, for perhaps the first time in his life, unsure of what to do next. He expected the wrath of Demeter to come raining from the sky for discovering her precious secret, but nothing happened.

Persephone did not cry out or run away in fright like a startled doe caught by a hunter.

Unafraid, Persephone studied him. Brow ever so slightly furrowed and head titled to the side, the goddess took in the sight of him. Curiosity rather than fear glimmered in her hazel eyes. A cool evening breeze blew in the air between them, lifting Persephone's soft hair in gentle waves. She still twirled the white flower in her fingers, almost as if she were also unsure of what to do.

Her eyes blinked slowly and Persephone took a hesitant step in his direction. Hades watched with bated breath as his Persephone made her way to him.

She was coming to him of her own accord.

Just a few precious feet away from him, she stopped.

"Who are you?" Her gentle voice was a like a song to Hades' ears. He could not form words of his own. Did he even want this lovely goddess to know that he was the dreaded god of the Underworld?

As she patiently awaited his answer, the god studied the goddess. Hades had never been so close to her before. Freckles decorated her bare shoulders. That he had never seen before. Her face was shaped into a perfect oval with rose tinted cheeks. He could touch her blushing skin, if he wanted to. In her foolish innocence, Persephone took a step ever closer to him. His heart raged with desire and anguish. She did not know that effect that she had on him. It was pure torture.

Yet he was far too close to giving in. All he had to do was reach out his arm and she would finally be in his grasp…

"Kore! Where are you, darling?" Came the distant trills of the nymphs.

Hades could not bring himself to slink back into the shadows. Persephone turned her head in the direction of the voices, but her nose wrinkled in displeasure. She stayed silent, not calling back to her loyal companions.

Persephone looked back to Hades, her eyes wide and a mischievous smile forming on her perfect lips.

"Please, before they find me," she whispered excitedly, leaning towards Hades. The scent of flowers and springtime wafted off her skin. "Tell me who you are. I've never seen a man before. I do not want to forget you."

It was more than Hades could bear. The closeness of this girl. Her scent. Her beauty. Her desire to know his name.

Demeter and her wrath be damned. His love for this goddess was far greater than his fear of Demeter.

"Hades," he breathed, his deep voice whispered in the dusk. "God of the Underworld."

Hazel eyes widened in slight fear and Persephone jumped back. Though he expected her to react with some apprehension at his identity, it was like a knife in his side to see his goddess fearful of him.

She opened her mouth, gathering her breath to cry out to her nymphs.

This would not do, Hades decided. He could never come back here if he were discovered. He could not go on without seeing Persephone ever again. His heart was too far entangled with the goddess.

He made his choice before Persephone could cry for help.

Hades lept fully out of the shadows. One of his strong arms circled around Persephone's waist and his other hand clamped over her mouth.

It was sinful delight to touch her skin, but Hades could not reveal in her closeness now.

The goddess struggled against his grasp, screaming beneath his fingers, but she was no match for him. Hades held onto her tighter as the ground beneath them opened up. It was a great rumbling, roaring noise that surely Zeus in Olympus would have heard. Hades did not care. Zeus had done much worse for the women he desired.

They fell beneath the earth together, dust and dirt falling around them. He felt Persephone's hot tears fall into his hands as she looked up one last time at the dusky evening sky before the earth stitched together and she fell into the Underworld with her brazen captor.

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AN- Thank you guys for reading my short oneshot about Hades & Persephone. I've been obsessed with their story ever since high school. (I don't really know why i like villains and heroines together, I think I need help) Through the years I have ready so many interpretations of their story, some wonderful and some not so good, but I have never contributed one myself until now. This has been a long time coming and I'm excited to get something out there. I can absolutely expand it into a short story, and I already have ideas for what I want to have happen, but for now this will be just a oneshot.

Let me know what you guys think! Is it too short? Does the action go too quickly? Would it be better if I fleshed out this first chapter? I'm open to any constructive, respectful criticism. Thank you again for reading!

 ***IMPORTANT UPDATE* 5-2-16 Due to the overwhelming, epic, amazing, positive feedback I've gotten on this story, I have decided to expand this oneshot into a chapter story! I've toyed around with the idea but wasn't totally committed until I saw how much people enjoyed this first part. Thank you guys so much! I can't say when the next chapters will be up, but stay tuned and bear with me! I've got a few original stories that I'm working on (one which will be available VERY SOON) as well as being a full time mom and wife and whatnot. Hades and Persephone will return in the near future :) thank you again for the wonderful feedback on Twilight Maiden!**


	2. Underworld

**PERSEPHONE**

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At first, all Persephone could see was darkness. Slowly, her senses were returning. Her limbs were heavy and limp. She could feel that the ground was damp and hard beneath her. The air flowing over her felt misty and cool. But there was something else that she could sense as she slowly awakened from a deep slumber.

A warm hand gently caressed her cheek. It was strangely comforting, this phantom hand on her face. Persephone instinctively turned her face into the touch, dreamily wondering who it could be trying to wake her. It could not be her mother's delicate hands, for the hand was far too large. Even so, Persephone relished in this unknown touch. She knew that she should have been alarmed, but she was not.

She was entranced.

The only touch she had ever known was the hands of her mother and the Nymphs that danced around her throughout her life. This was something different, something...strong. Her own arm shakily rose to her face. Persephone lay her hand on the one that still held her. Beneath her fingertips, Persephone felt the rough, heavy skin of the stranger's hand. Her heart began to beat quicker. This was not a feminine hand. The image of a man hidden in the shadows came swimming into view for a brief moment and then the image faded. Where had she seen a man before?

There was a sudden coolness on one of the fingers and Persephone thought she had touched a ring of some sort. The cold metal of the ring seemed to wake her. Persephone's eyelids fluttered as she emerged from the darkness. A soft, shadowy light glowed through tall trees above her and Persephone thought that she was still in the grove of willows. Yet how had she ended up on the ground? Her bleary vision cleared and the leaves above turned sharp and thin, like the fragrant spines of pine trees. Persephone let out a hushed gasp. These were not willow trees.

Her heart nearly stopped beating as memories came flooding back to her. The voices of the Nymphs calling out her name, that man in the shadows calling himself Hades, those strong arms circling around her waist, darkness enveloping her as they fell beneath the earth—

That hand beneath her fingers moved slightly, pulling away from her face and Persephone realized exactly whose hand that was. Now, her heart was beating wildly inside of her chest. She sat up and the blood rushed to her head, making her suddenly dizzy and unstable. The hand reached out and grabbed her arm to steady her. Persephone quickly turned her face away from the presence she now sensed next to her and she squeezed her eyes shut. Hot tears seeped through her tightly closed lids and her entire body trembled in dread.

The god of the Underworld had taken her?

Why?

How had he even found her secluded hiding place? Demeter had taken such great lengths to hide her from the world, to protect her from any danger that might come her way. What use had it all been, now that the most feared god of them all had found her and stolen her from home? What did he intend to do with her? Persephone had grown up in a haven of safety and peace, but she was not ignorant to the tales of what the gods could do to those they desired. Her own mother was a testament to that fact…

Hades released his grip on her arm but Persephone was frozen to the spot, too frightened to flee. A few agonizing seconds passed before he was touching her again. His fingers grasped her chin. She let out a startled gasp at this sudden touch, but still refused to open her eyes. Gently, he turned her face towards him. His presence was overwhelming now.

"Look at me," his deep voice calmly commanded. Persephone did not pull away. The tone of his voice and the way he held her face were both calming, oddly setting her at ease. Even though he had just taken her against her will, she did not feel threatened by him in any way. Her beating heart slowed and she let out a steadying breath to ease her panic.

"Will you look at me?" He spoke again. Despite her hesitation and distress, Persephone could not help but be curious. Before, when she had spotted him in his hiding place, his face was in shadow and she had not seen him clearly. Never in her life had she seen a man in the flesh; she knew them from paintings and sculptures and drawings, but this would be the first time she would lay eyes on one. Now as she slowly opened her eyes, Persephone braced herself to face the man before her. And not just any man. This was the god of the Underworld.

She had expected something monstrous when she finally allowed herself to look, but what greeted her was the face of a man who could be from one of the paintings that hung in her mother's manor.

A pair of dark eyes met her hazel ones. His irises were a rich brown and his dark gaze met her with such intensity, Persephone felt a blush creep into her cheeks. That heat in his expression was spellbinding. Persephone could not look away from him. So she sat there as her fear melted away, transfixed by the god, studying his features in a daze where time stood still.

A heavy brow sat above those intense brown eyes. His hair was black as night, falling to his shoulders and matching the thick beard that grew across his chin and cheeks. From what Persephone could see, he had a sharp jawline that complimented his strong features. Everything about Hades seemed to be that way; from his impossibly broad shoulders to those commanding arms that had held her close to him. For the god who ruled the Underworld, his skin was not the deathly white she would have imaged it to be. Rather, his skin was like the warm olive tone of someone who had spent time beneath the sun. Even her own skin was paler than his.

She was ashamed to find him handsome.

His hand still held her chin as Persephone continued to study him. What did he think of her, staring at him shamelessly? As she looked on, Hades changed. Something unfamiliar flashed in those dark eyes and Hades all of a sudden closed the gap between them. He leaned closer to her. Persephone was still frozen like a statue, unsure of what to do or think or feel. His face was inches from her now. His breath was warm on her skin. Her heart began to pound an unrelenting rhythm once again. Surely he could hear it inside her chest. He was so close.

Persephone wanted to be afraid. Shouldn't she have felt anger instead of fascination? She knew that she should have been a storm of emotions rather than being in this numb haze. A voice in the back of her mind faintly screamed at her to run, but she could not make her muscles obey. All she could do was match his gaze. Hades parted his lips slightly, as if he had something to say but instead, lost his valor and stayed silent.

Then Persephone felt him move from her chin and gently placed his hand on her cheek, his fingers nearly tangling into her hair. That heat in his expression turned into a blaze. He grazed his thumb slowly over her lips and something in Persephone's soul erupted. Her skin was on fire. She could not move. This surely had to be a dream. Her stomach felt full of butterflies and her heart skipped a beat. She sharply inhaled as a rush of blood coursed through her.

Something about this reaction to his touch awakened her.

Fear suddenly flooded her senses. Why had she let him touch her like that? He was her abductor!

Persephone flinched beneath Hades' hand and she pulled herself away from his touch. His gaze cooled like water being thrown on a flame and Persephone watched as he hastily withdrew his hand from her. The way he pulled himself from her, so willingly and so quickly, caught her off guard. For a breath of a second, Persephone hesitated and allowed herself to question that action.

But she did not question it for long. This was madness! She had to escape.

Persephone jumped to her feet and without a second glance, turned her back on Hades and ran as fast as her feet could carry her. His voice calling out her name echoed through the pine trees as she sprinted away, tripping over the hem of her dress. A thousand thoughts raced through her head, but the only one she could grasp was the thought of escaping. Thankfully, the forest of pine trees was thinning and Persephone could see a gloomy glow in the distance. She slowed her pace as she broke through the line of trees. Persephone came to a halt as soon as the forest was behind her.

A vast open field of dead, yellow grass and dust was before her, stretching endlessly onwards as far as the eye could see. A dusky sky hung above the wasteland, boasting of stormy clouds that swirled around even though there was not a breath of air to be felt. A river cut through the landscape, the silver waters flowing along slowly without a ripple interrupting the smooth surface.

Thousands of haggard looking people meandered aimlessly about with glazed eyes and blank expressions. These were, unmistakably, the souls of the deceased. She watched with trepidation as the soul of a woman stumbled silently past her. Persephone's legs shook weakly as it dawned on her how foolish it was to go running off in the Underworld.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she sensed somebody come up behind her. Before she could move, a pair of hands grabbed her arms from behind and pulled her back into the shadowy forest. Persephone hit something - or rather someone - solid and she could not turn to face who was holding her. But she did not have to guess who it could be.

"You've found the Asphodel Fields. This is where the spirits of the dead wander." Hades whispered into her ear. His breath tickled her ear and Persephone turned away from him. "It's not wise to be alone in this place. There are things in this world that could be dangerous to even an immortal," he warned with his voice stern but calm.

For the first time since coming to the Underworld, Persephone spoke.

"W-what?" She stammered. "Why do I care what this place is called?" Her voice started off shaky and faint but as Persephone whirled around, her courage rose. Hades stood before her, tall and imposing, but she stuck out her chin and glared up at him. "H-how dare you tell me what is dangerous!?"

Hades took a step back from her, his brows raised and clearly surprised at her outburst. That reaction seemed to stoke her courage a little more.

"How can worry for my safety when you took me against my will?" Persephone angrily demanded. "What kind of a god are you to kidnap me and then try to lecture me on what isn't safe for me?"

Hades did not say a word. He only stared down at her and she saw something like regret fall over his face like a shadow. This change in expression somehow sobered her temper. She was suddenly tired and weak and emptied her of anger, leaving Persephone with only a pressing sorrow.

"Take me home. Now." Persephone had wanted to sound fierce and strong like she had before, but her words had squeaked out like a frightened mouse. Tears pooled in her eyes as Hades sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his black mane.

"You are justified in your ire. I was a fool to bring you here," he morosely admitted. Persephone perked her head up when he said this. Hope of returning home bubbled within her, but then Hades moved closer to Persephone and wrapped his hands around her arms in an attempt to comfort her. She tried to pull herself from his grasp, but he held her tightly. Persephone felt the hot tears fall onto her skin and trail down her cheeks.

"Please…" she whispered tearfully, glancing up at him through her watery vision. "Then let me go home and we will forget this ever happened. It will all just be a misunderstanding." Persephone knew that this would not be true; Demeter would not take kindly to her only child being kidnapped by Hades but Persephone would say anything to get back home and away from the Underworld.

Hades raised an eyebrow at her, silently saying that there was no chance that this act would be forgotten. He set his mouth into a grim line and his hands tightened their grip on her arm, but he did not hurt her. His eyes bored into her and he shook his head.

"It was a grave mistake to take you but…" his words trailed off into heavy silence and his gaze softened. He nearly seemed sad. That regret she had seen earlier once again surfaced, this time it was unmistakable. He loosened his grip on her until only his fingertips grazed her skin.

"But I cannot let you go."

Persephone felt as though the earth beneath her once more opened up and buried her. What little resolve she had left crumbled and she buried her face in her hands. Her back shook from uncontrolled cries that suddenly burst from her.

"No! I don't understand! That cannot be! Please!" She begged between sobs. "Please take me home!"

She did not see Hades come closer, but she felt the weight of his hand laying on her shoulder. She immediately snapped her head up and in a fit of pure rage, slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" Persephone hissed. Hades did not seem fazed by her outburst, but his face was set into a somber frown.

"Don't ever touch me again!" Persephone ordered before she abruptly pushed her way past him and darted back into the woods, willfully ignoring his warning about going off on her own.

Persephone wove through the pine trees, blinded by her tears, the shouts from Hades falling on deaf ears. She ran until she was sure that she had lost him. Eventually he would find her again, but Persephone naively hoped that she would find a way out of this hell before then.

Just as before, the trees began to thin and Persephone spotted the edge of the forest. She slowed her running to a hesitant march and made her way past the last of the pines. She came into another open space, but this one was different than the Asphodel Fields. The sky did not have the same stormy clouds, but rather looked like the most brilliant twilight she had ever seen. There were clouds that did hang low in the sky but they were illuminated by shades of red and gold and orange and pink. Above the dusky horizon, the sky cleared and turned an inky shade of indigo. There were no stars or moon, but it was the most breathtaking sight Persephone had seen.

Everything in this part of the Underworld was lit with a misty glow making the forest and clearing beyond seem like a mysterious dream. The ground sloped gently downwards before leveling off into a small, grassy field. In the middle of the field sat a Manor. From her view, Persephone could see that the structure was black but she could not tell what it was made from. It was a stunning, if not imposing, building. In the distance, far behind the Manor, Persephone could see the edge of the clearing where the forest started up again. Craggy mountains towered over the forest, their bare, rocky peaks piercing the twilight sky.

Persephone stared at the scene in awe and wondered what this part of the Underworld could be. Her fear dissipated as curiosity set in. She allowed herself to emerge from the boundary of the forest and stood at the top of the hill. The soft noise of footsteps crunching over the pine needles interrupted her musings, but Persephone did not turn around. She did not have it in her to face him again. Hades had found her again. With a sinking heart, she realized that it would be useless to try to run from him again. It was silly to even try. She was exhausted from the onslaught of emotions that rushed through her ever since she awoke. Somehow, she would have to find a smarter way of escaping.

But as those footsteps grew closer, Persephone felt that they sounded too light for a large man such as Hades. Her already frayed nerves were set on edge as those steps hastily moved right behind her. Before she could turn around, hands tangled into her hair and Persephone was roughly pulled to the ground. She cried out in terror and pain. A wild mane of red hair blocked out her view of the sky and the face of a Nymph sneered down at her.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" The Nymph's voice slyly teased. "A pretty little immortal like you doesn't belong in a place like this." She knelt down beside Persephone and stuck her face right into hers, examining her like she was prey.

"Let me go!" Persephone choked out. Her throat was painfully tight from trying to hold back tears. For some reason, she did not want this woman to see her cry. Startlingly green eyes narrowed wickedly at the sight of Persephone's obvious anguish. This Nymph was not like the ones she lived with all her life. This one was different. Her mouth formed into a grin and she gave Persephone's hair a cruel tug.

"Oh no, no, I can't do that," the Nymph jeered as she rose to her feet, still holding tightly to Persephone's hair. "Let's see what we can do with you."

Persephone could not hold contain herself any longer. Her screams filled the air of the Underworld as the Nymph dragged her by the hair, down the hill and to the black Manor beyond.

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AN - Okay, so...sorry to leave you guys hanging for **_over a year._ ** This was originally a oneshot that kind of blew up and I was highly encouraged to continue. I had every intention of coming back to Hades & Persephone, but I wanted to finish a Legend of Zelda fic before I started up again. So here I am! I hope that you enjoyed CH2 of this story, and hopefully I will be able to crank out more chapters at a quicker pace (no year-long breaks in between!) Leave a review if you so wish, and thank you so very much for reading!


	3. A Harsh Welcome

**A/N - Hello everyone :) thank you for waiting patiently for the latest installment of Twilight Maiden! I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. Thank you to everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed my last update. Keep the love coming! Happy reading :D**

 ***MINOR TW FOR MENTIONS OF ASSAULT***

* * *

 **PERSEPHONE**

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Closer and closer, inch by inch, Persephone was brought to the dark castle, but not of her own accord. And despite her ceaseless cries for mercy and pleading to let her go, her words fell on deaf ears.

Persephone would have welcomed anyone, even Hades, to come snatch her away from this captor. At least Hades had been gentle to her. This Nymph was violent, raging, digging into her hair with a vengeance and dragging Persephone along the hard ground as if she were prey.

Because of this, there was not much that Persephone could see past the tears blinding her sight. From the forest to the steps leading up to the castle, the journey was a bleary blur. There was no doubt now that she was about to be taken inside of that strange building. A sense of dread washed over her as they were on the threshold of the castle.

Persephone was crying to the the Nymph, begging her to let go. Fresh waves of panic coursed through Persephone when she heard the unmistakable creaking of heavy doors opening.

"Where are you taking me?" Persephone cried out wildly and she heard the Nymph above her scoff. "What are you going to do?"

"Stop your wailing, you silly little fool!" This demand was emphasized with a hard yank on Persephone's head, which only drew yet another pained cry from the girl. The nymph's fingers still cruelly tangled into her hair, pulling her body through a set of impossibly tall black doors and onto a smooth, dark marble floor. With a final forceful pull, the Nymph flung Persephone aside and the young goddess landed in a heap on the floor.

Persephone managed to sit up, preparing to flee at a moment's notice, but before she could even get a decent look at the room she was in, a few more Nymphs swarmed her, blocking her view. All she could see now were the muted tones of the robes they wore. They spoke all at once with their voices excitable and nervous. They seemed to be chastising the red-haired Nymph, now looming over Persephone with a vicious scowl on her face and ignoring the others around her.

One Nymph with velvety brown hair and eyes the color of amber pushed away from the others and knelt down next to Persephone, placing her hand on the goddesses' shoulder.

"What is your name?" She asked gently. "Why have you been brought here?"

"Her name does not matter! She is a trespasser in Lord Hades' realm." The other Nymph cut in before Persephone had a chance to even open her mouth.

"I did not ask you, Minthe." The brown haired Nymph replied with ice in her tones. "I was asking her."

Green eyes and amber irises hardened like steel as they locked together, staring at the other with burning animosity. They were silent for a tense moment before the Nymph called Minthe shoved aside the kind Nymph and took her place kneeling at Persephone's side.

"Well now, little trespasser. What is your punishment going to be?" The Nymph crooned, a bite to her voice that made Persephone's heart leap into her throat.

"Trespasser?" She shook her head and began to rise to her feet. "I'm not trespassing! I was forced—"

"Hush!" The Nymph cut her off and suddenly Persephone was on her back and Minthe was practically kneeling on Persephone's chest. A slim, silver dagger was procured from out of nowhere and the blade was held against Persephone's neck. The Nymphs all gasped but did not make a move to stop their companion. "You are not welcome here in the Underworld. I'll take care of Lord Hades' problem on my own."

"He brought me here against my will! Just take me back home and then there won't be a problem anymore." Persephone argued, willing herself to sound strong and unafraid, but that dagger against her skin was not easy to forget.

"This is more fun though." Minthe retorted with her lips curling into a wicked smile as she pressed the dagger against Persephone's skin. The blade dug into her neck, only one more push away from drawing blood. She brought her gaze to the Nymph above her, meeting her eyes. For the first time since she had been snatched away by her, by Minthe, Persephone was able to observe her.

She was a stunning beauty with her fiery red hair and eyes the color of emeralds, but the twisted mask of scorn that adorned her face made her seem more like a snake about to strike at its prey.

"What have I done to you to deserve this?" Persephone's voice was hushed and pleading, echoing through the otherwise silent room.

"Minthe." The Nymph with the amber eyes broke the silence. "Just let her go. If what she's saying is true, and Lord Hades brought her here himself, then we shouldn't treat her like a criminal."

"Why do you have such an interest, Annis?" Minthe questioned, not even glancing over at the Nymph who was named Annis. "Just leave me be."

"I have an interest because if Lord Hades wants her here, then we should not interfere, lest we fall victim to his wrath." Annis argued hotly and attempted to wrangle Minthe off of Persephone. Minthe was stronger and used her free hand to keep Annis at bay.

"I'll take my chances with Lord Hades! I can handle his wrath." Minthe darkly promised. Annis tried to grab Minthe again, but there was a swish of air and then the resounding sound of Minthe's palm meeting Annis' cheek. The Nymphs gasped and Annis stumbled back a few steps. In her attack, Minthe had stood up, just enough for Persephone to feel the weight of her knees off her chest. She hastily glanced up at Minthe and saw that a smug smile was plastered on her face.

She was distracted. This was her chance.

Persephone acted quickly. With one swift movement, she used all of her strength to roll to the side. This sudden movement threw Minthe out of balance and she fell off Persephone, freeing her. Minthe crashed to the floor while Persephone scrambled to her feet, slipping on the slick black marble as she tried to gain her footing. Annis cried out, demanding that somebody stop. Persephone did not know if she was saying it to her or to Minthe, but she did not waste any time finding out.

As soon as she was able to, Persephone began to flee. The doors that she had been dragged through were closed now and Persephone had every intention of flinging them open and escaping to...to where, she did not know, but she was desperate to get away from this Nymph. Even Hades would be a welcome change from this vicious woman.

But no sooner than she had taken a few frantic paces, Persephone felt an arm wrap around her waist like a vice and another snaked across her chest with that damned dagger held to her throat again.

"Where did you think you would go, huh?" Minthe hissed into Persephone's ear. "Even this world is dangerous for immortals, you silly little fool. I'll be happy to show you how."

Persephone cried out for help, hoping that the other Nymphs would do something, but nobody did anything. Annis though, was demanding that Minthe let her go and Minthe was screeching at her to stay out of it. Persephone struggled against Minthe, but the woman's grip was far too strong.

The voices of three women mingled together in the vast, dark room, rising in pitch and emotion. They hardly heard the booming of the doors that were forcefully thrown open, spilling in hazy light over the marble floor. A figure stood on the threshold, backlit by the twilight. Persephone caught sight of him before the others did. She inhaled a sharp breath and ceased her struggling. The other two had yet to notice, and the rest of the Nymphs were suddenly nowhere to be seen. Hades stood in the doorway for a moment more before his voice thundered out above the others squabbling.

"STOP THIS AT ONCE!"

The command reverberated throughout the room like thunder from a storm. His fast was cast in shadow so she could not see what expression he wore, but Persephone did not have to see his face to know that he was furious. Anger seethed from his presence and an eerie tension fell over the room.

Instantly, the arms holding Persephone back melted away and the presence of Minthe behind her lessened as she roughly pushed past her and quickly made her way to Hades. The god had stepped inside and was marching over to where the trio was standing. Persephone was frozen on the spot, watching Hades' every move. He did not meet her eye. He did not glance her way at all. Instead, his deep brown eyes were fixated on Minthe, a cold, steely fury in his gaze.

"What do you think you are doing, Minthe?" He demanded. Persephone shivered at the sound of his voice; it was so different than the tender tones he had used before, when he spoke to her. As he glowered down at the Nymph, there was danger in his voice. But Minthe seemed unfazed by his obvious anger.

"Just getting rid of a little nuisance for you, that's all," she crooned sweetly as she waltzed right up to him.

"You have no right to do that," Hades growled in reply. "I brought her here, so she is no nuisance, as you say."

"Why did you bring her here?" Minthe questioned softly in a deceptively sweet voice. It irritated Persephone that this woman who had just held a knife to her neck and used such a hateful tone with her could turn around and be so alluring. Minthe lifted her hand and trailed her fingers along his bearded jaw.

Persephone's heart began to beat strangely when she saw this small action. Touching his face seemed such a bold thing to do. Was this Nymph Hades' lover? The idea that they were loves made Persephone's stomach turn uncomfortably. If had a lover, then why would he need her?

But this thought did not last long; Hades reached up and pushed Minthe's hand away. He was not forceful or rough as he did so, but it was clear that Minthe's touch was unwelcome. Minthe had her back to Persephone, so she could not see her face, but she saw how the Nymph's shoulders tensed at Hades' rejection.

"That is none of your concern," Hades replied sternly. "All you need to concern yourself with is staying away from her. If you so much as touch her again, you will come to regret it."

Minthe bristled at this command. She whirled around and fixed Persephone with a hateful glare, arms crossed over her chest, but she obeyed Hades' words and did not come near her.

"I don't understand why you need to go to the surface to find somebody to warm your bed. You know very well that you are the Lord of the Underworld and have your pick of the ones who are already here." She remarked snidely before turning back to Hades. She walked past him, letting her shoulder brush his.

"You know that I know this as well," Minthe added as she sauntering off, letting the implication hang in the tense air. Hades simply ignored her, not even giving her notice as she brushed against him and he made no reaction at her parting words.

Instead, his eyes had found Persephone. This time, she could not bring herself to meet his gaze. Instead, she met the pitying eyes of the Nymph who had shown her kindness. Annis, who had remained silent during this entire exchange, now stood beside Persephone. She wound her arm through Persephone's and it gave her a sense of comfort to find a friendly touch in the Underworld.

Hades sighed, exasperated and heavy all at once, and closed the distance between them. Persephone could not look at him now. She could feel him staring at her, but she could not tear herself away from Annis' concerned amber irises. The Nymph tightened her grip on Persephone's arm, but not in the cruel way that Minthe had done; she meant to set her at ease, but Persephone could not be at ease in the presence of the god who had taken her against her will.

"Pay no mind to Minthe," Hades assured, the fire gone from his voice. "I'm sorry that she was so harsh with you. Her animosity towards you was unwarranted and she will be punished for it." Persephone just turned from him and Annis both, looking over her shoulder.

In that brief moment, Persephone was finally able to observe the room that she was in. Every surface was made from the same black marble with veins of silver cutting through the dark surface. Most of the room was cast in shadow, so she could not make out the features of the walls, but she could see pillars lining the room. At the far end, opposite of the doors, there was a throne. It was cut into the wall, dominating and ornate; the seat of Hades. It was only a few seconds of Persephone's pointed silence before Annis spoke up on her behalf.

"I think that Minthe is the least of her concerns right now, Lord Hades..." she began hesitantly. "Forgive me for being so frank, but if what you say is true and you took her from the land of the living against her will-"

"I understand, Annis," Hades calmly cut into her words, though Persephone could hear a heaviness weighing on him as he spoke. "You don't need to go any further. I understand that this is all my doing. I was just…" He trailed off and the mood in the room shifted from tense to defeated. Persephone allowed herself to look back over at him. The god was still gazing at her with a sorrowful demeanor.

For the first time since she had been forced to come to the Underworld, Persephone held his gaze with a clear mind. She studied him, noticing how his shoulders sagged and his lips were pulled into a frown. What was he thinking, Persephone wondered. What was he going to do with her now now that she was here? Part of her was afraid of the answer, but another part of her did not sense any danger, despite the circumstances. As if he was able to read her thoughts, Hades gestured to Annis and addressed her.

"Annis, thank you for trying to keep Minthe from harming her. I trust that you will take care of Pers—of her. If you will, please go and make her comfortable.

Hades did not want to say her name. Persephone once again felt a strange, nervous sensation in her stomach when she realized that he did not want to say her name. Why so? What did this all mean?

She did not have long to think about it. Not even waiting for a reply from Annis, Hades turned away from them and in a hasty manner, marched to one of the shadowy corners of the room and disappeared into the darkness. Persephone watched him go, the room suddenly feeling empty without his presence. There was a slight tug on her arm and Persephone's attention was drawn back to the Nymph at her side.

"Come on," Annis smiled mirthlessly down at her. "Let's get you cleaned up. You look a fright."

"Do I?" Persephone questioned, glancing down at her dress. True, the hem was ripped from running through the forest and her skirt was soiled with dirt from when she had fallen through the earth to the Underworld. She could only imagine what the rest of her looked like. But did it really matter right now?

"I'm not going to stay here." Persephone remarked, half of a question and half of a demand. Annis did not reply to her, but steered Persephone in the direction of another shadowy wall, the one opposite of where Hades went. Anxiety pricked her heart as Annis ignored her.

"Does this mean that I'm going to be a prisoner here?" Persephone demanded, unable to keep the fear from wavering in her voice as she spoke. "Are you going to clean me up so that I can be nice and pretty for him when he decides to come for me?"

Annis continued to keep her lips sealed shut as the pair dipped into the darkness, walking in between two columns and to a closed door that Persephone did not see until just then. Annis went to push the door open and Persephone followed closely behind her.

"Please, answer me! What is going to happen to me now?" Annis' refusal to speak only added fuel to the frantic fire that was threatening to consume Persephone.

"Nothing will happen to you." Finally, Annis responded to her, no doubt able to hear the panic in Persephone's insistent questions. The Nymph pushed the door open and Persephone followed her as they made their way down a stone corridor lit with sconces burning dimly.

"What? How can you say that? I know what happens to maidens, immortals and mortals alike, when the gods fix their desires on them." Persephone was incredulous. "I may be innocent and young, but I am no fool. Don't try to deceive me."

"I am not lying to you. Truthfully, I cannot say what was going through Lord Hades' mind when he took you and brought you here but…" Annis kept on marching down the corridor, but peeked over her shoulder at Persephone.

"Things are different his realm, my lady." She assured. "Lord Hades is not like the other gods or goddesses that you may know. For the time being, the only thing that brings you any danger is Minthe and I am sure Lord Hades will make sure that she doesn't lay a finger on you again."

This made Persephone pause. Not like the others? Then if he was so different, how did she end up here? But Annis was sincere in her assurance. Persephone had an unusual knack for picking out liars, and she did not sense any deception in what Annis told her. She continued trotting behind her, pondering what kind of a god Hades was. From all the tales told about him, he should be exactly the type to do what she feared. So why was Annis so sure that he would be different?

"Well...in any case," Persephone murmured, her voice echoing softly on the stone walls. "You don't have to be so formal. You may call me Persephone."

"Persephone?"

"Yes. I am the daughter of Demeter and I belong in the land of the living."

"I know that you do." Annis sighed. They made their way further down the corridor, going slightly downhill. There were a few doors that they passed along the way, but they did not stop until they reached a dead end. There was a set of large wooden doors and Annis leaned her weight against them to push them aside.

The doors opened to reveal a cavernous space. Steam from an enormous hot spring wafted through the warm, moist air. The water was a pale, crystal blue. Steps cut from the white stone of the cavern led into the water. Hundreds of candles, placed in alcoves all over the room, already burning as if anticipating their arrival, lit the cavern with a warm glow. Persephone was taken aback, shocked that a warm and comfortable place such as this could exist in the Underworld. Annis directed her to the steps and Persephone gingerly tiptoed down into the steaming water. She removed her tainted clothing and set them aside on a rocky outcropping that served as a seat of sorts.

Annis sat there while Persephone bathed. It was not unusual for Persephone to be so exposed in front of another; back at her home, she was constantly surrounded by Nymphs. In fact, she could never remember a time when she had been truly alone. Even when she by herself, the Nymphs were never father than shouting distance away.

Persephone waded further into the spring until the water came past her chest. She threw a splash onto her face and reveled in the sudden comfort that the warm water brought. A few minutes went by as she bathed, Annis watching from a distance, perched on an outcropping with her toes trailing over the surface of the water.

"So? Will he let me leave?" Persephone asked while she worked the water through her locks. "If it is as you say and he is not the kind of god who would do me harm, what would be the point of me staying?"

"Persephone…" Annis grimly spoke her name. The goddess turned away from Annis and brought another splash of water to her face. Hot tears spilled through her fingers as she held her face in her hands.

"I cannot leave, can I?" She whispered shakily through her fingertips. Hopelessness weighed down her every muscle.

"Unfortunately, I do not think that would be possible." Annis explained. "Even though Hades is Lord of the Underworld, he is bound by the rules of of this realm. Once one has entered the Underworld, they cannot simply leave. There is a select few who have the privilege of moving between the realm of the living and the dead. I am not sure that you, immortal you may be, can do this."

Persephone lowered her hands, certain that her tears were dried.

"Surely, there must be an exception," Persephone mused. "I was forced to come here. I am the daughter of Demeter and…"

It was not easy to finish that sentence. Persephone sucked in a steadying breath and forced herself to continue.

"...and Zeus." She cut her eyes to Annis and sure enough, the Nymph's face betrayed her surprise. Persephone continued on, leaving Annis' questions unspoked and unanswered. "Surely he can command Hades to break the rules of this world and let me return home."

"Perhaps. But Zeus keeps himself at a distance from the Underworld and from Hades. He pays no mind to what goes on here and I fear that he would give little heed to the situation. Especially given his reputation with how he treats those he desires. He would find nothing wrong with Hades' actions."

"But I am his daughter! That should change things." Persephone retorted, wading through the water and making her way back to the stone steps.

"How well do you know Zeus, your father?"Annis inquired. She offered a hand to Persephone as she carefully walked up the slick steps.

"Honestly, all I know of him is what I have been told by my mother, and stories from the Nymphs that live with us." As soon as she was out of the water, a soft towel was draped over her shoulders.

"You have never met him?" Annis was curious. Persephone did not mind giving a basic explanation of her family history, so long as she did not pry any further than warranted.

"No, I have not" Persephone muttered, unable to keep the bitterness at bay. "And I am perfectly content with that. He knows that I exist. All of the residents of Olympus know that I exist, but none of them have seen me. And I have seen none of them."

The pair was quiet while Persephone dried off and changed into a gray robe that Annis had handed her. Where she produced it from, Persephone did not know, but as the fabric fell over her skin, she found that she rather liked the color. At home, Persephone wore either white or shades of pastel; her mother loved seeing her in virginal, fresh spring colors. This gray robe, the color like ashes from a fire, was a rather nice change and Persephone was a bit amused at herself for liking it so well.

Wordlessly, Annis and Persephone left the cavern and she followed her guide back up the stone corridor. It was then that Annis finally broke the silence.

"You are isolated from your family."

"No, I am not isolated. My family is my mother. The Nymphs are like my sisters. They are all that I need."

"Do you not feel a desire to know the other gods and goddesses?"

"I've never had an interest," Persephone lied. In fact, she had forever been curious to know the ones who shared the same blood with her, with the exception of Zeus. She knew all that she needed to know about him, but the others piqued her interest. She could never tell her mother that though. "I doubt that Demeter would allow me even if I did," Persephone added.

Persephone and Annis passed through another set of doors and wound their way through hallways that were in what Persephone presumed to be the main part of the castle. To her right was a long, sweeping, open balcony that ran the length of the entire side of the castle. That brilliant dusky sky flowed into the shadowy hallway. To her left was a wall of the same black and silver marble that was in the throne room. There was the occasional door that led to what she could guess would be rooms of some sort.

"How did you come to be so…" Annis searched for her next words. "Disconnected from the gods and goddesses?"

"It was my mother's choice. She did it to protect me." Persephone's heart clenched at the thought of her mother now, undoubtedly searching frantically for her missing daughter, having no idea that she was trapped in the Underworld with the god of death.

"Protect you from what?"

"From things like this happening." Persephone gestured to the dark castle and the perpetual twilight around her. "She did not want what happened to her to happen to me. It was all in vain, I suppose."

"What happened to her?" Annis stopped in front of a door and placed her hand on the latch. Persephone froze, wondering if she could trust this Nymph she had only just met, with her mother's story. She quickly decided that even if she could trust Annis, she was not in any state to recant it. It hit far too close to home and she feared the same thing was doomed to happen to her...

"Let's just say...there is a reason that I never met Zeus."

"I'm sorry that you have been brought here, Persephone," Annis sighed. She pushed the door open to reveal a small room beyond.

"It's not your fault. You have been kind to me and I am grateful for your companionship." Persephone managed a smile and stepped into the room.

Her room? She observed the dark but lovely and simple decor of the room, comparing it to her light and airy one back home. Annis watched Persephone observing her room.

"This is where you will be staying while you are here, which hopefully won't be long." Annis leaned against the stone frame of the door. "If it were up to me, I would let you go back."

"Thank you" Persephone turned back to Annis. "Now if only you could convince Hades!"

They both laughed, but their mirth was mingled with nerves, especially Persephone. Annis' words in the cavern haunted her; the chance that Hades would allow her to break the rules of his world and allow her to leave seemed slim, but there had to be a way!

Their laughs died away and a tense emptiness filled the air. Persephone felt flutters of fear in her chest once more.

"Are you certain that nothing will happen to me?" She asked timidly.

"I can only be certain that if anyone or anything were to harm you, it would not be Hades." Annis answered gravely. "He is not the monster that the world has made him out to be. You will have a far easier time here if you understand that."

But he still took her against her will, she wanted to scream! To Persephone, Hades was still monstrous for that action alone. Annis seemed so set on defending Hades and trying to make Persephone see him differently, but how could she when she was in the Underworld because of him? She did not respond to Annis' assurances. Persephone just shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

"Can I ask one more thing?" Persephone asked, not wanting to talk about Hades any further.

"Certainly."

"Might I have something to eat or drink?"

As soon as those words left her mouth, Persephone watched as Annis' face turned white and her eyes wide.

"What is wrong?" Persephone stepped closer to Annis, worried that she had somehow overstepped her bounds.

"Persephone, don't you know?"

"Know what?"

"If there is ever any chance of you being allowed to leave, you must stay away from any food or drink in the Underworld. Anything that you consume here will bind you to this world forever. You would never be able to leave."

That hopelessness she had felt in the cavern when she learned that she might not ever leave the Underworld, was back and now it crushed her. What kind of a forsaken world was she in that the very food would bind her here forever? Annis placed a hand on her shoulder and Persephone could hear the worry in her words.

"You don't need any nourishment, right?"

"No." Persephone breathed. "I don't but I like to indulge in mortal foods from time to time."

"Well, thankfully you don't need it." Annis seemed relieved. Maybe she thought that Persephone needed it. As awful as she felt at the moment, Persephone was touched that Annis seemed to care so much about her well-being.

"I guess. It's just that, and my mother hates this, but indulging in mortal food brings me comfort when I need it so I thought…well it doesn't matter now. Thank you for warning me." Persephone conceded. She crossed her arms over her waist and sighed. Annis gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze and continued her gentle warning.

"Just stay away from any and all food. If anyone tries to trick you into eating or drinking, resist them! Don't let yourself be fooled. Trust what I say, Persephone. I am on your side. I would not lead you astray."

Persephone imagined a Nymph with red hair and green eyes trying to entice her into eating a fruit or drinking wine. But that image faded as Persephone remembered that for whatever reason, Minthe hated her and would surely want her gone and not tied to the Underworld. If anything, she would try to lead her into greater danger than that.

"And what about that Nymph with the red hair? What should I do about her?"

Annis scowled at the mention of this Nymph. Persephone could still see an angry red mark on her cheek where she had been struck by Minthe.

"Stay away from Minthe, if you can," Annis said with a voice that was hard and cold as steel. "She is sly like a fox and as poisonous as a snake and she has decided that she doesn't like you. Tread carefully when you are around her. Hades told her to stay away but I don't expect her to obey him for long."

"Don't worry, I wasn't going to seek her out. I was already planning to stay far away from her."

"I know you weren't but...this place and the residents who call it home are not like what you are used to on the surface. Just...stay careful. I will look after you as best as I can."

"I appreciate that." Annis smiled and pulled Persephone into an embrace.

"Rest now, Persephone," She whispered into her ear before pulling away. "Perhaps you will get some good news when you wake."

"I hope so." Persephone wrapped her own arms around her shoulders, missing the comfort that Annis' embrace brought. She just needed somebody to hold her together. Every inch of her felt as though it were about to fall apart at the seams. Annis slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her with a light push.

And Persephone was alone in the Underworld. The gentle darkness of the room closed in on her while she stood there, still holding her arms around her body. She shivered from the cold fear that gripped her. Annis' warnings, not of Minthe or of food, raced through her thoughts.

This place might be where she spent her eternity. Hades might not be able to let her leave. That seemed impossible to her; he was the god of this world! Why would he not be able to break his own rules and just let her go home? And even more impossible to her was Annis assuring her that he would do her no harm.

She wanted to believe that. Maybe he would do no harm at first. But what would her fate be if he changed his mind. Would she suffer the same as Demeter did, so many years ago at Zeus's hand?

Persephone let the tears flow freely, though she did not cry aloud. They streamed down her cheeks, falling onto that ash gray cloth of her robe. Even if Hades never touched her, she hardly found comfort in that because keeping her in the Underworld would be just as excruciating for her. It would be her eternal prison.

For what seemed like endless hours, Persephone stood in the dim room, unable to move or cry or breathe, waiting for nothing and nobody.

Her sentence had begun.

Persephone promised herself that once she learned the Underworld a bit better, she would not rely on Annis' help or Hades' mercy to be free.

She would find her own way.


	4. This Strange Suspension

**A/N - Another update? So soon?! How can this be? Thank you to all of you who reviewed and faved and followed my last chapter. You guys rock my socks off! Happy reading and keep sending the love :)**

* * *

 **HADES**

* * *

The Elysian Fields called him, or rather, the company of an immortal who resided in the realm of the Underworld reserved for heroes and mortals who shared blood with the gods. Hades could consider him a friend of a sorts. This particular person had no qualms about being brutally honest with Hades and he was one of the few that Hades would allow to be so frank with him.

Though, it was a risk coming to this individual. He was not known for his tame and chaste tongue. Even so, he spoke honestly and did not shy away from speaking the truth to spare feelings; it was useful to have a companion such as that when one was ruling an entire realm.

And Hades did not have to search far to find him.

"Have you come for my council, fearsome Lord of the Underworld? If so, I have only one thing to say to you. What a damn, silly fool you are."

Hades had hardly entered past the ornate white marble gates that led to Elysium when a taunting voice drifted from above him. He turned to find the source of the voice and spotted a man perched on one of the ancient, gnarled olive trees that grew just inside the entrance. He was sitting on one of the twisted branches, just above Hades.

"I see that my situation has not escaped your notice," Hades observed dryly as the man hopped down on to the ground.

"My eyes and ears all over this realm have never failed me," the man replied with a smirk decorating his, clean shaven, youthful face. To any mortal, he might have been an ordinary man, apart from his unusual color of hair, but Hades knew that this was Rhadamanthus; a son of Zeus and judge of the Underworld.

The immortal's long, white-blond hair fluttered in the air as he sidled over next to Hades.

"You have gotten yourself into quite a predicament, Lord Hades." His icy blue eyes glittered with mischief as he spoke.

"Indeed I have. Your counsel is…" Hades let out a dry laugh. "Well, as usual, it will be considered. Do you have any words of wisdom for me, old friend?"

"Yes in fact, I do, but I can't be sure that whatever I tell you will differ than what you already know." Rhadamanthus took a few steps over to the olive tree and casually leaned against it.

"And what is it that you think I already know?" Hades followed the other god over to the tree and stepped in front of him, crossing his arms defensively over his chest.

"You cannot keep the young goddess here forever in this strange suspension; either you make her a part of this world or send her back to hers."

"Damn it." Hades cursed. "I do already know this! I do not need to be reminded. And you should know that what you suggest is not that simple and you know it."

"You came to me for advice, this is what I have to tell you," the god shrugged, unruffled by Hades' frustration. "Now, what makes it so complicated? When I say it, it seems rather straightforward."

"You know that I am bound by this realm's rules just as much as its subjects. And if I change the rules, let somebody leave the Underworld, then I compromise my standing as a ruler. I make myself weak in the eyes of others." Hades explained. Even as he stated his case, it fell hollow on his own ears. They were all just excuses. Cowardice. Weak reasons to not face the troubles that he had caused.

"Then are you willing to let another one make that choice for you?" Rhadamanthus questioned. There was an implication in his question that caused Hades to grow cross.

"What are you getting at?" Hades grumbled, internally denying what he knew the god was trying to say.

"If you don't make a choice, then Demeter will push Zeus to get involved. Do you really want that? If you are trying to save face by not compromising control of your realm and breaking your own rules, how well does your credibility hold up when somebody has to force you to do it?"

A breath of air that Hades had not realized that he had been holding back escaped his lips in a heavy sigh. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his finger and thumb. It was not Zeus that concerned him; the god of gods had never set foot in this Underworld and likely never would. Either he would drag his feet on addressing the issue or not even care one bit that Hades had taken a woman for himself.

Demeter was who worried him. Rhadamanthus was right. She would be the one to push the indifferent Zeus into action, if only to make her stop bothering him. And if Zeus would do nothing, then she would surely take action into her own hands. A part of him was secretly shocked that Demeter had not already swooped down into the Underworld herself and taken her daughter back.

Neither one was desirable. He dreaded each option that was before him. But as much as Hades knew that this choice might have to be made for him if he did not act soon...

"I can't let her go. Not yet…" He breathed. Now his fingers stroked his beard. "I am a damn silly fool. Now that she's here, a selfish part of me hopes that…"

Hades let his wishes trail off into silence. There would be no point in finishing that fantasy. Persephone would never chose to stay here of her own accord. Rhadamanthus already sensed what Hades was too cowardly to say.

"Do not wait for the goddess to decide what she wants. If you want her here, then keep her here. Force her to stay. Trick her into consuming food or drink and then bind her here for eternity. That would only strengthen your credibility as the dreaded god of death; the dark god who deceives young maidens into being his bride."

"Never." His voice was a quiet rumble of thunder. "That is not acceptable. I will never stoop so low to get the things that I desire."

The laugh that Rhadamanthus allowed to fall out of his mouth was mocking.

"Did you not do just that by bringing her to your home in the first place?" His question was a jab to Hades' heart and he glowered menacingly at the god.

"It was a mistake. A brash decision made in the heat of the moment."

"Why did you do it then?"

"I was about to be discovered and I…"

Why had he done it? That moment seemed as if it happened ages ago, in a different lifetime. He recalled the voices of the Nymphs calling out to Persephone and the panic that rose inside of him.

"I feared that if Demeter caught wind of me seeking out her daughter, then she would take her away to a place where I would not find her. Then...then I would never see her again. In that moment, I chose my selfish desires over Persephone's wellbeing. I acted."

"And you acted foolishly." Rhadamanthus finished for Hades. "Now you have to chose a path to follow. Do not waste your time, Lord Hades. Act fast and decide before Zeus does it for you." He pondered his own words for a second and then a devilish grin spread across his face.

"Perhaps I should pay this Persephone a visit. I've heard how lovely the goddess is. If you won't act, then perhaps I will. Maybe she will turn to me for comfort and decide to stay in the Elysian Fields. It is possible. You know how irresistible I can be."

Hades did not even feel his own feet move as he swiftly closed the space between him and Rhadamanthus. His face hovered inches from his smirking features.

"Don't you touch her." He growled threateningly. "I am not ignorant to how you are with the ones you desire."

"Look at you, worrying about her wellbeing when you were the one who put her in more danger than anyone else," Rhadamanthus was still grinning. "I'm not the one she needs to worry about. It's you who ruined her life."

"Don't you dare test me." Hades clenched his fists until his fingers dug into his palm, forcing his every muscle to refrain from striking this smiling bastard.

"Oh, you're far too serious, Lord Hades. I would not risk stirring your ire by laying a finger on your prize, but you are far too fun to tease." Rhadamanthus was enjoying himself far too much and Hades was finished with him. He turned his back to his companion and wordlessly marched away from him.

"Have you had enough of me?" Rhadamanthus called to his retreating back.

"I have had enough of everything," Hades mumbled only loud enough for himself to hear.

He needed to rest from all this madness he had created. His chambers were calling him. Hades stalked back through the marble gates, wove through the Asphodel Fields and made his way into the forest that separated his home and the rest of the Underworld. Scenes of what had just happened in this tranquil place flashed through his thoughts; Persephone running away from him, chasing her so that she wouldn't come to any harm, sitting in front of her, finally feeling the soft skin of her cheeks in his hand—

"So why did you take her?"

A roguish voice from the shadows of the trees rudely interrupted his thoughts. Hades whirled around to see a tall, slim figure emerge from behind one of the countless pine trees. Minthe smoothly glided her way over to Hades and took her place at his side, matching her pace with his.

"That is none of your concern," he grumbled in response. Hades was in no mood to deal with her now. Minthe edged closer to him until her shoulder was brushing against his. Hades in turn changed his pace so that he was not so close to her.

"Maybe I should rephrase that question, since it is obvious why you took her," Minthe cooly replied, unphased by his obviously displeased tone of voice. "The real question is, why that little goddess in particular?"

Hades could not help but sigh at Minthe's insistence.

"Rephrasing the question still doesn't change the fact that this is none of your concern," was Hades' exasperated reply. Together they ambled slowly through the forest, the only noises around them was the sound of their voices and footfalls on the ground littered with pine needles.

"She's special to you, but I'm trying to figure out why." Minthe mused aloud, her voice playful and teasing, but Hades was not amused by her antics. He could not stop picturing her on top of Persephone's chest, holding that dagger to her neck. His heart surged with anger when he remembered the look of terror on the goddess' face.

"What makes you believe that she's special to me?" Hades demanded roughly. Minthe suddenly swooped in front of him, stopping Hades in his tracks.

"Because I saw it." Her voice was not playful anymore. The striking features of her face were pulled into a grimace. "In the forest, just after you returned. You and her were together for a moment before she ran away. There was a look in your eyes that I had never seen before."

"And what look was that?" Hades challenged, wondering just how much Minthe saw in that moment. He bristled at the idea of Minthe, of anyone for that matter, catching him in such a private moment, spying on him when he was at his most vulnerable and seeing a side of him that he preferred to keep hidden.

"Love." Minthe stated bluntly, the word spat from her mouth like poison. "You gazed at her with love."

And with that, Hades pushed past Minthe and stormed off. He wanted to get away from her, from Rhadamanthus, from everyone. Embarrassment burned his cheeks. Frustration nagged at his senses. The slow-burning ember inside of him was quickly igniting into a blaze.

Minthe would not let him escape so easily. She chased after him, taking three strides for his every one.

"And I became jealous when I saw that!" Minthe cried while she trotted behind him. "Never once in our time together, did you come close to anything like love. Passion, yes, Lust, of course. We were companions who greatly enjoyed one another's company, but there was nothing more than that. Why do you love her and you never loved me?"

Hades stopped in his tracks. Was she honestly going to bring this up again? Now, of all times? Minthe nearly ran into him when he stopped so abruptly. He exhaled a steadying breath, willing himself to cool his own ire.

"Minthe," the god started in a steady, but firm voice. "First, I will say again that this is NONE of your concern. Whatever you think you saw is not your business. Secondly, I thought that I told you to not bring this up again. You keep insisting that we talk about it. You keep insisting that we are not finished. I have to tell you time and time again that whatever happened between us ages ago is finished."

"I keep insisting because I refuse to believe that we are done!" Minthe protested. She moved in front of Hades once more, fixing him with her emerald irises. She lightly placed her hand on his chest. "I want to go back to how we were. How can you so easily forget us?" She gazed up at Hades, her expression softening and the tone of her voice laced with desire.

Hades took her wrist and simply moved her hand off his chest. It was not a rough or forceful move, but Hades hoped that he made it certain she was not welcome to touch him that she was not to do that again.

"From the very beginning, you told me that you did not want my love. You told me that there was nothing more to it than what we made it. You were the one who decided to walk away. You were the one who left to find true love with someone else. Why would I return to the one who so easily cast me aside?

Minthe shook her head, making her wild red hair spilling all over her shoulders.

"Because I regret it every second," she admitted. "I've long since come to my senses and realized that it was you who I wanted all along. Please don't turn me away. Please don't find comfort in the arms of another."

Minthe's pleas fell on Hades' ears and he unwittingly felt his heart clench with pity. He might have been the god of the Underworld, but his heart was not dead and cold. He hated to hear the desperation in her voice, but Hades knew that he could not help her. His mind was made up. There would be no going back, and truth be told, he resented that she was trying to make room in his heart for herself again when he had made it clear dozens of time that she was not welcome.

"Why is it that you are free to follow your heart, but mine must be bound to yours and yours only? How fair is it that I was supposed to wait for you to change your mind and come back to me, while you came and went as you pleased?" Hades asked Minthe. He was careful to keep himself level-headed as he spoke to her, trying not to wound her any further than she already was. He just needed her to understand why he had made his choice. But as Minthe continued to press the matter, it seemed to Hades that she would continue to refuse his denial.

"Because I was a fool to think that anyone else could suffice," Minthe reasoned. "Now, I covet your love. I've wanted it for myself for so long, and when I see you easily give it to a woman that you don't even know, how can I keep myself from feeling jealousy? I will always fight for what I want."

"You cannot force love simply because you want it," Hades sighed before closing his eyes and raking his fingers through his hair. That advice coming from him was hollow and empty. It was a lesson that was still too freshly learned. "Trust me. Nothing good can come of you forcing your desires on another." Hades could only hope that Minthe would heed his warning seriously. "Hear my words, Minthe. Our chance for love has long since passed. This pursuit of me must end."

"Hades!" His name was a plea from her lips. "Please give me another chance. Surely, you haven't forgotten our time together. Don't you remember how we were?"

Once more, Minthe raised her finger to brush against his face, but Hades grabbed her before she could touch him.

"I remember," he murmured deeply as he held her hand. "I remember that there was a time when you could be so informal with me but…" Hades allowed her hand to fall from his grasp where it hung limply at her side.

"But you must remember, Minthe, that things are different now. Too much time has passed and my feelings have changed. I am Lord Hades to you, and Lord Hades only. That is how it will be."

Those green eyes welled with tears and her skin flushed red beneath her freckles.

"I'm sorry to hurt you like this. Truly. I'm sorry to cause you pain." He dared to take a step closer, not to initiate affection but for Minthe to see how serious his next command would be.

"But you must know your role in my realm. Don't stray from it. And don't cause any harm to anyone in my kingdom. Do you know what I am speaking of?"

She blinked back her tears and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I haven't the slightest clue what you mean." Minthe snipped. Hades groaned inwardly. She had to make this difficult.

"I know you, Minthe. I know that you are no fool. You know exactly what I mean. This is your final warning." Hades looked over her and he saw the haughtiness in her expression falter.

"Stay away from her."

The weight of this sentence could be felt in the still air of the forest.

"And if I don't?" Minthe toyed with his threat, cocking her head to the side and peering up at hades through her lashes.

"I did not punish you for your earlier actions, but if I hear another word of you laying so much as a finger on her again, you will regret it."

Minthe let out a "humph" and flipped her long scarlet locks over her shoulder. She rolled her eyes before turning back to Hades.

"You wouldn't do anything. You're not like the other gods."

Hades closed the space between them until they were toe-to-toe. Minthe wanted to be close to him, but this looming, angry god was not what she had in mind.

"You are right," he darkly agreed. "I am not like the other gods. I do not dole out cruel punishments on a whim or for the smallest infractions. I am just. I am fair. I am merciful. But there is a reason why being the god of the Underworld suits me best. I am not one to be crossed, Minthe. My punishments are fearsome. You should know this." Hades scowled down at the Nymph, who fearlessly matched his stare.

"Do not test my mercy." He warned with a harsh whisper. Minthe narrowed her eyes and wrinkled her nose in displeasure.

"You would be so protective of the one you love? But not of the one who used to share your bed?" She hissed like a snake. Those words were biting. Accusing. Carefully chosen daggers meant to strike deep.

Hades straightened up and backed away from Minthe like he had just been stung. "Enough. Leave me." He ordered, not caring to keep his frustration at bay any longer.

"Hades, wait. I'm sorry—" Minthe hastily tried to ease his temper, but he was having none of it.

"Now," Hades demanded. "And do not address me so informally again." He would not budge until Minthe did first. She stood there for a few seconds, unsure if she should leave or attempt to console him, but after one last withering glare from Hades, she decided against it. Wordlessly, the Nymph slipped back into the shadows of the trees.

For the entire way back to the manor, Hades was fuming. Minthe was an expert at getting under his skin, at anyone's skin for that matter. She was unafraid of challenging authority and crossing boundaries. Minthe knew no way of controlling her mouth or her temper. For as long as Hades had known the Nymph, even far before their brief liaison, she loved to make him angry. It was a sport for her and Hades hated it.

But now it needed to come to an end. He had no room for any other problems or irritations in his life. Things were too complicated, too strained for him. He was stretched thin. Once Hades reached the manor, he threw aside the doors to this throne room and stormed inside, his destination his chamber.

Until he saw the lone figure, like a startled deer caught by a hunter, standing alone in front of his throne. Hades stopped when he spotted her. His breath caught in his lungs and Hades felt his heart drop to his knees.

Persephone.

A hazel gaze pierced his senses and Hades longed to bring himself to her side. The fear and anger that Persephone exuded when she had seen him earlier was gone. Instead she was unsure of herself, timid in his presence. She nervously rubbed her hands over her arms that were crossed protectively over her chest.

The two of them both remained silent as they stared at one another in the empty hall. Persephone's mouth fell open as if about to speak, but no sound came from her lips. Hades wanted to do everything at once; to leave her be, to spill every ounce of his feelings for her, to gather her in his arms, to apologize for taking her. All of it lingered on the tip of his tongue, ready to spout of like a spring bursting from the earth. But nothing that he wanted to say or do would make any sense.

So he said the only clear thing that came to his mind.

"Look up."

Persephone blinked a few times, comprehending his words, clearly not expecting him to say that.

"W-what?" The goddess stammered. Hades just calmly repeated himself.

"Look up."

And Hades watched as she hesitantly tilted her head upwards, his eyes following the way her neck gracefully curved, how her ash blonde hair fell off her shoulders, how the soft gray of her robes flowed around her body like mist in the dawn. Hades wanted to graze his fingers over the skin of her jaw. He wanted to—

"Oh!" Persephone exclaimed. His wandering mind eased out of where he had been going with his fantasy. He fixed his sights on her face, watching her timidity melt into pleasant surprise.

"I hadn't noticed before." Hades did not have to look up himself to know what she was seeing. It was his favorite feature of his home; the ceiling of his throne room was open to the forever twilight sky above. The dusky shades of purple and blue swirled above the pair as Persephone marveled at the sight.

"It's beautiful." She murmured, in awe of the dusky sky. Then her lips curled up and there was a spark of life in her eyes that Hades had not yet seen since she had been here.

Her genuine smile warmed his heart. There was one more sight that he wanted to show her; one more piece of his home that he hoped she would find joy in.

"I want to show you something else," Hades grew closer to her as he spoke. Instantly, Persephone snapped her head away from the sky and fixed Hades with a suspicious glare. The spell was broken. The fleeting peace of the moment was gone.

"What else?" Persephone's brow was furrowed. Hades would not be deterred. If she could find at least some happiness here in the Underworld, could he change her mind about staying? Could he change her mind about him?

"Come with me." Despite himself, Hades stretched out his hand to Persephone, offering his hand to the goddess. When they were in the Asphodel Fields, Persephone had ordered him to never touch her again. He would not touch her again if that was what she wished, but perhaps would she touch him?

Persephone glared at his outstretched fingers and seemed to wrap her arms around herself more tightly.

"Where?" She demanded softly.

"You will come to no harm," Hades assured. "Just, please, come with me." Persephone regarded him for a moment more. Then she conceded, saying yes in a whisper that was hardly heard. Hades' hand was still open to her, but she walked right past it. It did not matter to him that she denied his touch; it mattered to him that she was trusting him enough to go with him alone. And truly, no harm would come to her.

* * *

A courtyard was settled in the middle of the manor. The garden was vast and diverse, growing foliage and fruits and flowers from all over the god and goddesses' earthly realm. It was easy to get lost in, easy to believe that one had been taken to a different place altogether. It was easy to forget that you were in the Underworld when you were there. That was why Hades thought to bring Persephone here; not only was she a goddess of Spring and would appreciate this display of greenery, but he wanted to set her at ease and bring a part of home to her.

Persephone was speechless as they explored the courtyard together, but Hades saw how her shoulders relaxed when she was enveloped within the familiar sights of the world above. She stopped when they came to a fruit bearing tree. The thin trunk twisted as it grew upward, ending in a burst of long, green leaves where scarlet fruit hung from the branches.

"These are my favorites," Persephone extended her hand and held one of the heavy pomegranates in her palm. "What a gorgeous fruit. I've never seen one so rich and red before. If I could, I would take one for myself but…"

Her voice, though solemn, was like music to his ears. Hades wanted to relish in the sound of her voice so close to him. As she spoke, Persephone tore her gaze away from the fruit in her hand and turned her face to Hades.

"It would bind me here forever if I did," the goddess lamented. "I would have no chance of leaving. Annis told me. She warned me."

"Annis spoke the truth," Hades somberly replied. "And for that I am glad. I would not have wanted you to be deceived."

"How strange that you say that to me," Persephone let go of the pomegranate and turned to Hades. He stilled the beating of his heart as she closed the gap between them. Every inch of his body burned with anticipation as she drew the fingers of her right to him, placing them lightly on his shoulder.

"How strange that you care if I am deceived by consuming this fruit, but you are the one who brought me here in the first place. If you wanted me so badly, then why would you not do everything in your power to keep me here against my will?"

Hades did not reply. He couldn't. Her touch was far too distracting for him to form a coherent thought. Instead, his own hand flew to grasp hers, closing around the smooth skin of her fingers.

And as quickly as he had touched her, Hades let her go.

"I am sorry." He hastily apologized, stepping away from Persephone. Her nearness was clouding his mind and he needed to give himself space.

"You're sorry?" Persephone's eyelids fluttered in confusion. "For what?"

"You told me not to touch you again. I acted against your wishes and held your hand."

"You…you would respect that? You would not touch me if I told you not to?" Persephone was stunned. She placed her hand over her heart and stared at Hades with wide eyes. The wheels in her mind were frantically turning, and she shook her head in disbelief.

"It has been said to me that you are different from the other gods," she started in awe. "This is the first time that I've seen proof of it. Maybe it is as Annis has told me."

Her gaze locked with his and for the first time since she had spotted him in the shadows, she did not look at him with fear or apprehension or anger. He could not say what he saw gazing back at him, but her words that she spoke next made his heart beat faster.

"Maybe, you actually are different."

Hades did not reply. He ached to hold her hand once more, but he refrained. If Persephone was waiting for him to say or do something, she did not wait long. Once again, she stepped into his space, carefully choosing how close she came to him.

"Tell me this then; am I still trapped here? Will you not let me go home?" The hope in her question tugged at his heart. Hades closed his eyes, rubbing his fingers with his temples and he exhaled a steady breath.

"That is not a simple matter," he tried to explain. "Once you have entered the Underworld, it is impossible to leave. Annis surely explained this to you as well. I have made a terrible mistake that cannot be easily fixed." Hades lowered his hand and opened his eyes to see a forlorn face staring up at him.

"I am sorry to have done this to you, Persephone."

The sound of her name coming from his mouth, being said in his voice, seemed to move something inside the goddess. Her skin turned red and she glanced down at the ground, all while running her fingers through the ends of her hair. .

"I just want to go home," she muttered to the ground. "All will be forgiven if you just take me home. Please, Hades."

How terribly he wanted to hold her now, as his name spilled from her lips. Persephone lifted her head up and for the last time, stared intently into his eyes. For what seemed like a lifetime, they stood together in that garden. A strange suspension, as Rhadamanthus would have called it, neither one willing to walk away but neither wanting to linger. Their limbs were frozen in place, but there was fire in the air between them, the unspoken feelings and emotions burning through the thick tension in the garden of the Underworld.

* * *

So this chapter was fun; I liked introducing more of the characters of the Underworld (so excited to give you guys more of Rhadamanthus - he will definitely come back in future chapters) and I was eager to explore more of Minthe's character. I don't want her to be a one dimensional character who just hates Persephone/is jealous of her arbitrarily. I hoped that this chapter gave her a bit more dimension and motivation behind her actions. Also, I think that after this chapter, things will really start to pick up. Thank you X 567456 for reading my story and I hope that you come back for more!


	5. Beyond the Castle Walls

**Persephone**

* * *

It was not that Persephone was a vain or self-centered person; she just never saw herself like this before and she couldn't help but marvel at this new girl that stared back at her in the mirror.

A robe of dark, rich forest green hung from her frame.

The grey robe that she had worn before was a nice change, but it was far too close to the lovely, light spring colors that she had worn all her life. This dark green was startlingly different; her mother would have never allowed her to wear something so bold, so striking before. It would have "attracted the wrong kind of attention," Demeter would argue, and Persephone would retort with who could even be around to show her that kind of attention. The only people that lived with them were the Nymphs! Demeter would not take too kindly to Persephone's sass and the goddess would be promptly punished.

And obviously it did not matter what she wore; even in her virginal white robes, she still "attracted that kind of attention." So persephone decided to pick out a shade that she had longed to wear. Green was her favorite color, but not a bright, grassy green. She wanted something that was the same color as the pine forest that grew around Hades' castle, and Annis had somehow procured the perfect robe that Persephone had in mind.

The Nymph in question was sitting in the edge of Persephone's bed, chin resting in her hands and watching the goddess with growing amusement.

"Vanity is a sin, you know. I'm going to have to take that mirror away from your before Zeus himself smites you," Annis warned Persephone as she continued to fuss in front of the mirror.

"Zeus would not care what I do," Persephone muttered. "He doesn't care that I'm even here, much less how long I stare at myself. And it's not that! It's really not. I'm just...not used to seeing myself like this. I'm not accustomed to making choices for myself and it's nice to see the outcome of picking out the color on my own robe."

"You never got to pick out your own clothes?" Annis asked with disbelief, standing up from the bed. Persephone only shrugged in reply and smoothed out the folds of her skirt.

"What sort of prison did your mother keep you in?"

Persephone finally pulled herself from the mirror and faced Annis, again sighing in exasperation at the the thought of her overbearing mother.

"A very loving one," the young goddess grumbled. Annis laughed and wound her arm through Persephone's. It had been quite amusing for her new friend to discover all the silly rules that Persephone was bound to back at her home. Annis would try hard to pull back her smiles when Persephone would marvel at being able to roam anywhere she pleased at anytime she liked. In the beginning of her stay, Persephone was worried that she would be confined to her room, but to her pleasant surprise, that was not the case; Hades had given her permission to go anywhere she liked, as long as Annis went with her to be a guide.

Though, Persephone suspected that Hades' true reason for wanting Annis to be with her was to offer her protection and support against a certain scarlet-haired Nymph, who had not been seen since their first disastrous meeting in the Throne room.

In any case, Persephone did not stray beyond the boundaries of the castle; she stuck close to a few places so far. One of those being the garden courtyard.

In one of her ventures to the garden, Annis showed her an unusual sundial not far off from the grove of pomegranate trees. Even though the Underworld remained as a never-ending twilight without nights or true daylight, the sundial still followed the course of the sun from the world above. It was there that Persephone was able to tell how many days that she had spent in this strange, new home of hers.

Four days. Persephone had been there the total of four days on earth, though it felt like longer because there was never that switch between day and night; it was always a hazy dusk. It bothered her for a while that there was no night, but after around the third day, Persephone decided that she didn't mind it so much. The sky was forever swirling with dusky purples and oranges and grays. Truly, this part of Hades' realm was ominously beautiful.

And the god in question was nowhere to be seen; ever since their meeting in the courtyard, Hades kept his distance from the young goddess and Persephone found herself wondering what it was that kept him away.

Annis and Persephone left the goddess' room and soon they were strolling through the garden together, arms wound through arm and their excited whispers filling the solemn air.

"You must tell me!" Persephone exclaimed. "If you're going to leave me alone, then you at least have to tell me who this mysterious person is that you're off to see!"

"I can't say a word! It's still so fresh and new, that I don't want to curse it before it takes root." Annis tried to explain to an eager Persephone. A red blush tinted her cheeks and she cut her eyes slyly to the goddess. "All I will say about it now is that I can't stay away. I have to see him." Her voice was heavy with suggestion and Persephone saw how her amber eyes glowed warmly.

"You can understand what I'm talking about, right?" The nymph inquired. Persephone tried to casually brush it off, but she hated what Annis was implying; her innocence was also ignorance.

"Of course I understand," Persephone assured. "As much as my mother tried to keep talk of romance away from my delicate ears, the Nymphs that lived with us were more than willing to share their tales of love and heartbreak with me."

"Is that so?" Annis remarked playfully as she pulled away from Persephone. "Well perhaps I'll have some tales of my own to bring back to you."

"Please do," Persephone giggled. Annis bade her farewell and left Persephone by herself in the garden. Annis was her only friend in the Underworld, and it made her time here feel less lonely and empty; she made it almost feel like home. Almost. Not quite, though. This was not her home, and it never would be.

Persephone wandered amongst the lush foliage, lost in thoughts of her bright, sunny home. Her heart wrenched whenever she imagined all of the Nymphs in a panic, wondering what happened to their "little goddess" as they loved to call her. Even more so, Persephone could not bear the thought of what her mother was thinking and feeling at this very moment. It had been close to a week that she was snatched away and taken to the Underworld. Would Demeter have gone to Zeus by now?

Knowing how much her mother loathed the god, Persephone wondered if she would even seek out his help at all.

For the thousandth time since her forced arrival, Persephone questioned if she would ever leave this place, and if so, how? Hades was adamant that allowing her to leave his world would upset the balance of his reign, only to throw the Underworld into chaos.

Persephone found that hard to believe. She was adamant that there had to be a way for her to leave, and it was only a matter of time before she discovered how.

In the meantime, she was enjoying this newfound freedom that her underworld prison offered. She could go where she pleased and now in her friend's absence, Persephone decided to wander through the throne room lit by the sky looming above. It struck her as odd that she had not seen Hades in this room, save for her very first day in the Underworld, and how he let his throne stay empty and unused. Her imagination pictured Hades seated on his black marble throne, glowering down at everyone who dared to enter into his moody presence and disturb his perpetual brooding.

Persephone smiled at the thought of it while she ran her fingers over the silky smooth black marble. In the short time that she had been here, and in the even shorter time that she spent with the god, Persephone had come to know Hades as grim and morose; or at least that was how he was when he spent the rare moment around her. The corners of her lips fell as her smile faded and Persephone gazed idly at the dark throne.

The god of the Underworld wanted her here, but he made himself scarce. If he was bold enough to bring her here, why was he too cowardly to look her in the face now? His actions were all in vain and Persephone had to suffer because of it. She let out a huff and crossed her arms, glaring at the throne and silently daring the god to show himself.

As if the He could sense her demands, a door somewhere in the shadows was thrown open suddenly. Persephone ducked down and hid from whoever had just entered the room. Heavy footsteps echoed in the silent room and Persephone peeked from her hiding place to see who it was, though she had a sneaking suspicion as to who those footsteps belonged to.

Hades. Where was he slinking off to? Not for the first time, she wondered where he went and what his duties as god of the Underworld entailed. Persephone would never give Hades the pleasure of knowing that she was genuinely curious about his comings and goings.

So she decided to slip out of the castle and stay hidden from his sight as he went about his business.

Her keen eyes kept Hades in her sights until he pushed open the doors to the entrance and disappeared into the world beyond. Quickly and quietly, Persephone scampered after him. She slipped between the double doors just as they were about to slam shut and found herself standing alone on the top of the stone steps. It only took but a second for her to spot Hades just as he stepped into the forest of pines trees; the man moved fast! She jumped down the steps, two at a time, and raced across the grass covered lawn to the forest.

Her heart raced with the excitement of her mission as she stalked the god, keeping her eyes trained on his tall, broad figure and winding through the trees unseen. When they reached the wide open Asphodel Fields, Persephone hesitated for a moment as she watched Hades ambling into the distance; the souls of the dead made her a bit nervous as they wandered around the Fields and how could she follow without being seen? She had to come up with something before Hades went too far for her to find him again.

So despite her fear of the dead, Persephone decided to weave her way through them, hiding behind them and moving along with the flow that they followed. It was a sight to see; a pretty goddess darting behind the dead, hot on the heels of the god who brought her to the Underworld. As strange as it was for her to be doing this, Persephone was enjoying herself. Her fear of the souls was easing away and she found their aimless presence to be harmless.

Far across the Asphodels Fields, the unsuspecting Hades lead Persephone to a spectacular sight; a white marble wall that was adorned with an ornate gate. Hades pushed through the gate and made his way inside. Luckily for Persephone, there was a craggy boulder just a few yards away from the entrance, so she hid behind it and watched as Hades closed the gates behind him.

Through the bars, Persephone watched Hades and spotted that he was not alone; a young man with silvery-blonde hair was accompanying him. Persephone dared to step out of her hiding place and watched as the two gods, their backs to her, walked deeper into the land inside of the wall. The silver-haired god was dwarfed beside Hades' tall figure as he walked at his side. Curious, Persephone trotted to the gate, certain that they wouldn't turn around and see her standing there.

This new god's face was hidden from her, but there was an intriguing aura about him that Persephone was drawn to. She wondered who he could be and why Hades sought him out. The ends of his pale strands of hair lifted slightly in the wind as the pair made their way down a path through a grove of ancient, gnarled olive trees. Her fingers gently grasped the cool iron bars and Persephone kept her gaze trained on the gods. Yet as soon as her skin touched the bars of the gate, the silver-haired god instantly whipped his head over his shoulder. A pair of icy eyes pierced right through her.

Her heart dropped to her knees and Persephone jumped away from the gate. Though she had already been spotted, Persephone rushed back to her hiding spot behind the boulder. With a heavy sense of dread, she waited for Hades and the other god to come marching through the gates and send her back to the castle.

But they did not come. The gates stayed still and shut. After her racing heart slowed to a steady beat, Persephone carefully, cautiously came out from behind the boulder. Still, no gods came for her. She let out a nervous laugh, wondering why she had been so afraid.

This world was so new and so strange to her. Deep down, she feared that Hades would harshly reprimand her if she was caught following him around his own world; the stories and tales about him that she had heard from whispered tones of the Nymphs told of a vengeful, dark, angry god. This Hades that she was a witness to told her a different tale altogether. Perhaps they were wrong about him? Still, those stories stayed with her, as well as the deep-rooted fear of Hades that was because of them.

For a while, Persephone stood beside the boulder and pondered what to do next; Hades had gone to a place where she could not follow, and she didn't dare try to get through those gates and be seen by that other god again. Irritated that her mission was all in vain, Persephone decided that she might as well make the best of it and explore the Underworld. As foolish as it seemed for her to be wandering this world on her own, Persephone wanted to see what sort of place Hades had brought her to. Annis never wanted to show her around. Her friend preferred the comfort of the castle and the nearby gardens, save for now when she was off with her mysterious lover.

"I'll just take a look around on my own," Persephone muttered to herself. She wandered away from the boulder, observing the landscape and trying to pick the most interesting direction in which to go. There was a smoothly flowing river that cut a path through the Field and she decided to follow along the banks and see where it led her.

The river lazily drifted along the Fields and Persephone quickly began to question her choice to follow it. So far, it had not brought her anywhere other than the Fields and back through the pine forest. The blanket of trees above her darkened her path while she trod along the bank.

She pondered going back to the castle until she noticed that the trees were starting to thin and she saw grey light streaming through the trunks. Persephone noticed that the trees themselves did not look well; the bark was peeling off and the pine needles were brown.

How strange. The hair on the back of her neck prickled but Persephone continued following the river until finally, she broke out of the thick of the forest. The landscape changed; the sky was still that same dusk, but here it was darker and greyer. A thick must hovered over the ground, swirling around Persephone's legs as she ventured onward. Brittle grass crunched beneath her feet and the trees were thin and scraggly with decaying leaves clinging to the thin branches. Everything that Persephone saw around her looked as if it had been dead for centuries.

This was how she had pictured the Underworld – dark, damp, and decaying. The river narrowed and even the water looked black and cold as it rushed through this part of the Underworld. Though her senses were heightened with anxiety, Persephone was determined to see what this place was.

She was far from Hades and his home now.

Not too far in the distance, between the dying trees and mist, Persephone spotted a few mountains and wondered if they were a part of the same range of mountains that was close to the castle. Something about those rocky peaks tugged at her and she decided to make them her destination. While she went along her way, Persephone spotted a sunken area, deep in the ground. She deviated from her course by the river and got closer to this new sight. It was an arena, carved from the earth, with a raised dais in the middle. Not a soul was to be found, but the presence of this structure was imposing and dark, so Persephone quickly moved along back to the river.

The next sight that she came across was what looked to be the ruins of a once-majestic palace. It was familiar to Persephone, and as she walked through the ruins, she realized that it was eerily similar to that of Hades' home. The place she was currently in could be the exact same as his throne room, if it were not for the crumbling pillars and destroyed walls. What struck her as the oddest was the wooden doors, pristine and perfectly intact, that outlined the inside of the structure. The glossy surface of the wood shined even in the dim light of the cloudy sky.

Persephone wanted to run her fingers over the surface of the door and push it aside to see where it went. How could such beautiful doors be in this desolate ruin? She even went so far as to press her palm against the door, but a feeling of fear suddenly swelled in the pit of her stomach. Persephone lowered her hand, but that fear remained. Something about these doors was terribly bizarre.

Every nerve in her body was on edge and Persephone wanted to leave the ruins as fast as she could. Once she put the ruins behind her, Persephone began to feel somewhat better, but her muscles were still taunt, ready to flee back to Hades' home at the slightest hint of danger.

She meandered on with the river and inched closer to the mountain. It was so close now, Persephone could make out the details of the rocks and crags that decorated the surface.

The trees were nearly all behind her now, with a few bushes here and there decorating her path, but she saw one tree that stood out from the rest; it was a tall and graceful elm tree with silvery-green leaves that shimmered like fragmented pieces of a mirror. This new sight did not hold the same dread and fear that the ruins did. Eagerly, Persephone tiptoed beneath the tree and reached up into the branches. Her fingers grasped one of those shining leaves and rubbed it between the tips of her fingers. The leaf was soft to the touch and her touch did not diminish it's shine.

Strangely, Persephone's mind abruptly began to race with daydreams and wishes; ones that danced through her mind throughout her childhood and younger years, dreams and hopes that had never come to pass. Persephone let go of the leaf and slowly backed away from the tree, suddenly feeling an unexpected sadness well up within her.

Persephone left the tree behind her, wondering why it had suddenly brought her mind to those forgotten dreams. Her path wound around a curve and Persephone found herself losing sight of the river. The ground rose from the earth until she was walking between two jagged walls of rock. The ravine that Persephone was walking though was devoid of any vegetation. Her footfalls echoed eerily in between the ravine walls and Persephone hated this pressing silence. She quickened her pace until she saw the end of the ravine.

Finally, with the ravine behind her, Persephone was standing beneath the shadow of the mountain. Here, the river seemed to come to its end, or rather, its beginning. A waterfall poured from high above her, rumbling down the rocks and into the river below.

A boat made from dark, nearly black, wood floated on top of the rippling surface of the river. Persephone saw a hooded figure standing at the bow. From what she could see, this figure was a man. He did not seem to notice her or care that she was loitering on the edge of the river.

At the edge of the bank, opposite of the river from where she stood, there was an archway. The water lapped at the edge of a set of stone steps, beginning at the water's edge and trailing up the mountain. Persephone's gaze followed the steps as the climbed higher and higher until she spotted a second archway. This one was an enormous, cavernous archway that was carved right into the side of the cliff. Try as she might, Persephone could only see darkness inside of the arch as she peered into it from her place on the ground below.

After a bit, she gave it up and brought her interest back to the boat and ferryman. The man had not moved an inch since she first spotted him, and Persephone crept down the bank closer to the water's edge to get a better look at him. She found a spot beside a dying willow tree with its bare tendrils trailing in the water and observed this silent stranger.

She could clearly see now that this man was old; his skin sagged from his bony face and his rheumy eyes were the same color of the steely water on which his boat floated. They started blankly ahead, watching everything but seeing nothing. A scraggly beard clung haphazardly to his chin. Fingers gripped tightly to a pair of oars that dipped into the river. Where this odd boat and its deathly silent owner made their destination and for what purpose, Persephone could not answer but she was of course curious. He did not strike her as dangerous or capable of causing her harm. Part of her wanted to call out to him, but just as she mustered the courage to get his attention, the archway in the mountain began to fill with a bright, golden glow.

Persephone gasped as the glow erupted into a brilliant blaze and suddenly the shapes of men and women poured from the light and came rushing through the archway. There was only a handful of humans that walked into the Underworld, but Persephone was certain that these were recently deceased souls who had just entered this realm.

Was that archway the entrance to the Underworld? Her breath caught in her throat as she realized that she may have found her one way of escape. Persephone watched as one last figure came through the arch and she instantly knew that this was no mortal; it was yet another god.

This god seemed to be herding the new souls like a hound would herd sheep; these souls were not the same lifeless, expressionless drones that she saw in the Asphodel Fields. They were more animated, more life-like than their counterparts in the Fields. They obediently marched down the steps with the god in tow, floating lightly over the ground with a set of golden wings attached to his sandals.

As he came closer to the edge of the river, Persephone was able to make out his features; a mess of thick, blond curls adorned his head, falling into his youthful face. She could not make out the color of his eyes, but as he neared the small archway and mysterious boat, Persephone found that she rather liked the look of him; he was handsome, but in a different way than Hades was handsome.

When the souls were standing on the steps that led down into the water, they each produced a handful of silver coins and offered them to the ferryman. The man abruptly came to life when his dead eyes spotted those silver coins, and he greedily swept them into the pockets of his cloak with those bony fingers. Once the souls made their payments, the ferryman ushered them onto his boat.

Without a word from the souls or the god or the ferryman, the boat pushed away from the bank and slowly eased downstream, carried by the current of the river. They flowed past Persephone and she peeked out at them from her spot behind the willow. The souls were whispering to themselves, their faces nervous and afraid, but their words were lost to her as they passed, making an unknown journey deeper into the realm of the dead.

Persephone's gaze wandered back to the archway and the steps, wondering where they golden-haired god went. She saw him quickly ascending the mountain. That glow once more filled the archway and the god was soon enveloped by the light. Before Persephone could blink, the god and the glowing light faded away and the archway was cast into shadow, dark and empty as if nothing had happened.

A seed of a plan formed in her mind; that god and the archway would be her way home, but first she had to question Annis about this god. Persephone decided that she had enough of exploring and was anxious to get back to the castle and talk to Annis. She climbed the riverbank and found the same path that she had followed before. Hopefully Annis would be back from her secret tryst by the time she made it back home. Surely, her friend would know who it was that herded the souls into the Underworld.

A stab of resentment pierced her heart as Persephone realized her own ignorance. She had hardly any knowledge of the gods and goddesses outside of what she heard from the Nymphs. Demeter refused to speak about any of them with Persephone; she thought it was best for her own safety to keep her daughter in the dark about who any of them were and what they did. She truly believed that by distancing Persephone from the rest of the immortals, that she would be kept safe. She would not be corrupted. She would not be hurt.

But a small and steady stream of knowledge still trickled into her life. She knew enough to understand what sort of a god Zeus was. She had heard tales of Aphrodite and learned about the wise Athena. She had even heard enough about Hades to grow up fearing him. Even so, what she knew about the immortals was terribly limited. And she could not help but hold a grudge against her mother for keeping her ignorant. Some information about the gods would be useful now if she could use it to her advantage and escape!

How would she go about this? She would find out who this god was and what he did, and then what? Befriend him and convince him to take her back to the land of the living?

Persephone was making her way through the narrow ravine that she had gone through before. The sheer cliff walls were not so intimidating now that she was going through them again. She had not gone far along the path before Persephone's musings of escape were interrupted by a slow build of rumbling growls behind her. She whirled around in time to see a beast creep from behind an outcropping of stone.

This thing was unlike any creature she had seen before; a canine nearly as big as a horse with three heads was stalking towards her. Three pairs of fierce yellow eyes leered at her and Persephone balked as three mouths bared their fearsome, razor sharp teeth. She backed into the cliff wall, tears prickling at her eyes.

Persephone was trapped.

There was nowhere for her to flee. Her mouth hung open in a silent cry for help as the beast cornered her against the cliff. It was so close to her now, Persephone could see the glossy black fur that grew over rippling muscles. Despite her fear, Persephone thought that he could have been just another dog, much like the ones that she called a pet and companion at home.

Her pounding heart slowed as she had a thought of how she could keep this thing from ripping her limb from limb. If there was anything in this world that Persephone loved dearly, it was all creatures on the earth. She had spent her childhood sneaking orphaned or injured birds and small animals to her room and nursed them back to health. The skittish deer that roamed in the woods near her home were tame to her rich and nobody else's. Canines and felines flocked to her, sensing her gentle and calm nature.

There was not an animal that she could not tame…

So maybe, just maybe, this beast was the same?

Persephone lifted her shaking hand and slowly reached out her trembling fingers to the beast. The thing's growls rumbled even deeper as she approached it. So she paused and allowed it to get used to her presence. Patience was key. She forced her tense muscles to ease into a calm posture and she exhaled a slow, silent breath to release her fear. If it detected that she was afraid, then it would only respond with aggression.

Thought the beast's hackles were still raised, it brought itself to Persephone's hovering hand and the closest head to her began to sniff her fingers.

This was a hopeful sign. Emboldened, Persephone turned her hand over and offered her open palm for the beast to inspect.

"That's right. You don't have to be so vicious," Persephone crooned with a tremulous voice, trying her best to sound as soothing and harmless as she could. The other heads joined the middle one and three wet noses were snuffling and sniffing her arm. The dog's shoulders had relaxed as well, and those giant paws took a few friendly steps to Persephone.

"Oh, well you're not so bad, are you?" Persephone was smiling now as the three heads were tickling her skin as they sniffed. "I think that you're all bark and no bite."

Carefully, she shifted her hand until she was touching the middle head's ears. It didn't seem to pay her any mind, so she began to rub behind it's ears, just like she would with any other dog. When the beast seemed to accept her affection, Persephone stroked the thick, muscular neck that held up all three heads. Its fur was thick and soft, and Persephone wondered if this is what it felt like to pet a bear. She happened to catch some movement out of the corner of her eye and she realized that this creature was wagging its enormous tail. Her laughter filled the ravine.

"You just needed some love, didn't you," she crooned while the left head nuzzled her hair and the right head laid itself on her shoulder. The middle head was gently sniffing her cheeks and Persephone wrapped both of her arms around that one's neck.

"I knew that you weren't such a monster," Persephone breathed with a sigh of relief, knowing full well that just a few minutes ago, she did not believe that for a second. Her heart slowed to a steady beat, but she was still feeling nervous flutters in her stomach, hoping that her magic touch with animals was working on this strange creature.

And when she felt the dog's hackles rise and the deep rumblings of a new growl within it's chest, Persephone froze, her arms still wrapped around its neck. What had gone wrong? But instead of striking out at her, she noticed that all three heads were turned in the same direction, trained on something or someone.

"You seem to have a way with this hell-hound," a voice laughed from behind her.

Hades.

Persephone let go of the beast and turned around to see the god standing just a few feet away. His arms were crossed over his chest and there was a grin spread across his normally stoic face. Her heart flipped inside of her chest and for a second, she forgot how to speak. His smile was disarming and startling; and Persephone loathed how endearing she found him as he stood there, smiling at her.

"Is this creature yours?" Persephone finally managed to blurt out. Hades' smile only widened into a smirk and she had no choice but to lower her eyes to the ground, in hopes of trying to still her beating chest.

"Yes, this vicious beast is my pet, created by my own hand," Hades replied to her and Persephone lifted her gaze to see him approaching her. The low growls of the animal deepened and it tensed beneath her as the god came closer.

"I named him Cerberus. He is the guardian of the entrance to my world, and I hoped that he would be my loyal companion, However, this damn silly fool never took to me; he has remained as wild and untamed as the day I made him."

Hades held out his hand to place it on the beast's closest head, but it snarled and snapped at Hades' fingers. The god laughed and pulled his hand away.

"See? This thing loathes me." Hades' dark eyes found Persephone and they were soft. Persephone was tempted to stare down at her feet again, but the intensity in his gaze held her captive. "Cerberus seems to like you. He's a puppy in your hands. How did you manage to do that when not even his own creator can touch him without fear of losing a hand?"

"Oh I—I didn't do anything special." Persephone stammered with her cheeks growing hot. "I just...I was trying to save my own skin."

"But you tamed him." The tone of his voice was insistent and Hades closed the distance between them, despite the continued warning growls of Cerberus. "I saw him corner you, and I was about to run to you before he could attack, but then I saw you act. I watched you reach out to him and he melted under your touch."

This Hades, with his smiling face and soft tones, all traces of his gloomy and haunted facade gone, made her head dizzy. And she hated it. Persephone wanted to wash away this feeling of openness she had towards Hades in this moment. She pushed down the tidal wave that was threatening to rise within her.

"I just love all creatures, great and small and fierce and timid. I thought that perhaps I could make him trust me…" Persephone replied matter-of-factly.

"You were right." Hades encouraged. "And you were brave and resilient."

He was growing ever so closer to her now. She could make out the rich color of his irises and how long his lashes were and how handsome—

"I was lucky." Persephone snipped, cutting off her thoughts. "It was nothing special."

"Perhaps. But perhaps you have a gift to soothe the savage beast and that is a strength."

Suddenly, Cerberus lunged forward at Hades. Everything happened all at once; Persephone fell forward as the beast's shoulder knocked into her. Hades arms caught her before she tumbled to the ground. There was a shout, a command, and Persephone peeked over her shoulder to see Cerberus retreating to the shadows in the ravine with all three pairs of eyes trained suspiciously on Hades.

"Are you hurt?" A concerned voice questioned. Persephone felt hands holding her arms protectively and she came to realize that her own hands were pressed steadily against Hades' firm chest. Her head swam as she took in his touch, wanting to push him away from her and yet thankful for him catching her.

"I—I'm fine," she assured. Once the words fell out of her mouth, Hades' hands slid from her arms. Persephone remembered her own command that he never touch her again, and how he made assurances to respect her wishes. For that, she was grateful, but Persephone wondered why her arms suddenly felt cold and empty.

"Aren't you angry with me?" Persephone blurted out abruptly, trying to distract herself with anything and everything. A change in subject would be perfect!

"Angry with you about what?" Hades inquired. Persephone was somewhat surprised to hear the genuine confusion in his question.

"For running off an exploring the Underworld on my own?" Persephone confirmed. She shrugged her shoulders with uncertainty and glanced up at Hades through her lashes.

"Why would I be angry with you? You are safe as long as you stay away from certain places and certain residents of this world. If you were curious then…" Hades let his words fall into silence. The wheels in his mind were spinning slowly, pondering carefully his next words. "I would have been more than happy to show you," he finally finished.

"I know that…" Persephone admitted. "I just...I didn't want to ask you…"

"Do not trouble yourself," he assured boldly. "I understand that you might not have wanted me in particular to be the one to lead you on a tour of the Underworld." Hades ran his fingers through his thick, raven-colored hair. Once again, those wheels were spinning. His eyes did not lie and Persephone saw that he was wrestling with his next words. Did he seem...nervous?

"Can I show you now?" Hades offered, with a furrowed brow and questioning voice.

Her heart kept nervously into her throat. Persephone hesitated, the words of rejection hovering on her tongue. But something held them back. Persephone decided that, for now, Hades was harmless. For the time being, he was no danger to her. She believed him when he said that he was different. His actions proved his words, but he was STILL the one who brought her here. He was still the cause of her misery, her mother's misery, her kidnapping, her uncertain future.

Yet his imploring brown gaze was hard for her to resist. And she was loathe to found out why.

"You might as well." Persephone relented and tried to make herself seem disinterested.

"Is this what you want to do?" Hades ventured once more, sounding hesitant and not believing that she would truly want to spend any sort of time with him whatsoever.

"Yes. Yes, it is." Her reply was firm and Persephone wondered why she was letting herself do this.

"Alright then." Hades smiled one more time. Then he raised his hand to her, offering it to her. "Come with me."

There was no hesitation. Persephone laid her fingers on his open palm. His hand wrapped warmly around hers and her skin was on fire where he touched her. Persephone again question why she was letting him do this. But then he gently pulled on her arm and she could not help but let herself be eager to let the god of the Underworld lead her deeper into his realm.

* * *

 **AN -** _All of my apologies the wait between updates! The next chapter should come out a bit quicker since it's basically half written already. Thanks for reading, and special shout out to all who are following and favoriting and reviewing!_


	6. Glimmers of Hopes and Dreams

**Hades**

* * *

This was unexpected.

It was as if a dream of his had abruptly come to life. Hades had not even allowed himself the smallest sliver of hope that she would allow him to hold her hand, much less come with him as they ventured the Underworld together. Yet here they were; Persephone willingly following him, with his hand wrapped gently around her wrist as he led her safely out of the ravine.

Not a word passed between the god and goddess. A tense silence hovered over them. Their footsteps on the rough ground echoed noisily on the craggy walls of the ravine and Hades nervously wondered if Persephone was waiting for him to be the first to speak. He glanced back at her only to find that her hazel eyes were already trained on him. The corner of her lips lifted into a ghost of a smile as he looked back, but the expression on her face betrayed an unspoken uncertainty.

The walls of the ravine fell away and the path opened to a small clearing of dying grass and a few scattered trees. To ease her nerves, Hades decided to let her hand fall out of his grasp now that they were coming out of the ravine. Persephone fell into step beside him and out of the corner of his eye, he spotted her glancing curiously up at him. Her lips parted, and she inhaled a quick breath as if she were about to speak, but seemingly lost her nerve and turned away from him. He could not help the disappointment that mingled with his own nerves; Hades wished that there was not the mistrust and fear that she had towards him. If only he had acted rationally and not taken her with him on impulse, then perhaps they could be comfortable with one another.

They went along the path a bit more until the couple came to an elm tree. Persephone stopped in her tracks and frowned at the tree with apprehension.

"Have you already seen this Elm tree?" Hades inquired, grateful for a topic that could break the silence; his mind was frustratingly empty and his mouth was unable to properly form words. "I can tell that you aren't too keen on this tree already."

"I did walk past it," Persephone mumbled, her slim arms crossed defensively over her chest. "I was hoping that we would give it a wide berth when we went past it again."

"I assure you, this tree is perfectly harmless," Hades encouraged. He beckoned Persephone over to the tree where he now stood beneath the branches, but her feet were firmly planted on the path.

"Let me tell you what this tree is. Once you understand, then you will see that there is nothing to fear about it." Hades attempted to reassure the goddess, but she still glared suspiciously at the tree. She pondered his request for a moment more before she sighed.

"Fine then. Teach me." Persephone left the safety of the path and her footsteps crunched over the dry, dying grass. Hades' spirits soared as he watched her amble over to the elm tree. It was his hope that he could her the solemn beauty of the Underworld; that not the entirety of it was a place to be feared and dreaded. Persephone sidled into place beside him and Hades smiled warmly down at her.

"This elm tree is unusual, to say the least. It is one of the more ambiguous sights of my world," he began. "The elm tree holds the dreams of mortals and immortals alike. Do you see how the leaves glimmer? It is because those dreams cling under every leaf. This is where the hopes and wishes of all of us go to rest when they are left unfulfilled."

Persephone did not say anything, but Hades could tell by the way she wrinkled her nose and furrowed her brow, that she was still displeased

"Those feelings that you felt when you came to this elm, they are reflections of what your heart feels about whatever it is that is left unfinished. It is just an illusion. A trick of the mind. There's nothing to fear because it is not real." Hades watched Persephone's expression soften and the tension eased from her shoulders.

"I understand now, but I still despise the way that it made me feel," Persephone admitted with her voice somber. "I still fear it. And yes, it is an illusion as you say but you could still argue that there are many who fear life with unfulfilled hopes and dreams."

She tore her face away from him for a moment to reach up and smooth the soft leaves between her finger and thumb. As he observed her, Hades could not help but smile at her sharp mind. It was wonderful to see her personality unfold like a flower blooming before him.

"And there are also some who find a strange comfort in falling into those dreams when the reality of life is bleak to bear." Hades added gently. He dared to close the gap between them and took a step closer to her. Persephone did not seem to notice that he was towering over her now. The silvery gray leaves held her attention as he gazed at this stunning goddess, taking in every detail of her face, her arms, her ash-blonde hair and committing her image to his memory. There was a chance that, if she left the Underworld, he would never see her again.

And that would be entirely his own fault.

"I suppose that it depends on what kind of person you are; one to find fear or one to find comfort." Persephone's musings broke Hades' train of thought. She slowly turned to face him, her arm still reaching into the branches.

"Which one are you?" Persephone inquired, tilting her head to the side and a twinkle in her eye.

Hades did not instantly respond to Persephone. He delved into his own hopes and dreams, ones that he lived for before he brought her here; dreams of the goddess standing right before him. Images of her face that would dance inside of his mind when he spent seasons without seeing her.

Yet on the other side of heart was the agony of living without her. The fear of passing eternity without her at his side. That was the driving force behind his actions to take her into the Underworld.

Fear.

"You could say that I am both," Hades responded with a weight to his tones. Persephone dropped her hand and for a moment, it seemed to Hades that she was morose; her lips turned down and the glow that had illuminated her face was gone.

"I am too," Persephone admitted. "Hopes and dreams are both a comfort and a fear, for me. Though I found that it is easier to feel fear over hope."

"Perhaps it is this way with most everyone," Hades mused aloud. His feet took control over his body and he found himself nearing the goddess. Her hazel irises widened at his nearness and she hastily pushed past him.

"Perhaps." Persephone mumbled. "Let's move on. There was another place I saw that I want to know what it is." She called behind her while Hades followed behind, cursing himself for getting too close and frightening her.

"Was it a pile of rubble with a dozen or so shining wooden doors?" He inquired knowingly. To his relief, Persephone did not act as a spooked, frightened deer as he had expected her to. Instead, she waited for him to join her on the path and keeping a distance from him that she was comfortable with. Her face lit up in that lovely glow again when he replied to her.

"Yes! What was that place?" She asked with excitement.

"One of the places that I suggest that you avoid, or at least visit only when I am with you," Hades answered. Persephone crossed her arms again and narrowed her eyes at him playfully.

"How come?" Persephone pursed her lips.

Hades desperately wanted to kiss those lips.

"You felt apprehensive about the Elm tree," he questioned, trying to clear his head of the sudden urge to hold her. "What did those ruins and their doors make you feel when you were there?"

"Something about that place was strange and unsettling, but it did not make me feel as wary as the Elm Tree did."

"That is no surprise to me. That place is the entrance to smaller worlds within the Underworld. Those doors are gateways to realms of other gods and goddesses. Some of those deities are harmless. Some are more troublesome. And there are a few those could pose a danger." Hades explained to the goddess.

"Is one of those doors the entrance to Tartarus?" Persephone asked matter-of-factly.

"Your mother told you of that place?" Hades was shocked that the protective Demeter would even so much as whisper that word to her precious daughter.

"Of course not!" Persephone's laugh brightened the gloom of the Underworld. "The nymphs did. They told me about all of the worldly matters that my mother refused to speak of. They—" Her words cut off and she hesitated. "They even told me about...about you."

"Of course they did," Hades replied grimly. He knew all too well how the rest of the world perceived him. "What did they say about me?"

"That you were fearsome. And terribly ugly." Persephone began hesitantly. "And it horrendously savage." Then a grin cracked her face and she started shaking her head. "And bathed in a river of dead souls! That one I always had a hard time believing was true!"

"A river of dead souls, huh? I can't ever recall doing such a thing." Hades guffawed. That was not too terrible, considering what he had heard whispered about himself. "But the fearsome and ugly part? They weren't too far from the truth with that."

Persephone's cheeks reddened with a telling blush and she hastily looked down at her feet.

"Hmph. I wanted to leave out the more cruel parts of what they said," she huffed as she tried to regain her composure. Persephone lifted her head back up, her skin returned to its usual ivory complexion.

"So, is it then? Is one of those doors the entrance to Tartarus?" She demanded with a little terse voice.

"No, it is not. That is in another place and I won't be showing you that anytime soon." Hades calmly ordered.

"Why not!" Persephone exclaimed. "I'm curious. And you will be with me, so I'll be safe, right?"

Hades simply laughed at her persistence. "You are a rebellious little thing, aren't you?" He chuckled.

"The thorn in my mother's side." Persephone lamented, rolling her eyes. "The rotten streak that she wishes to purge from my spotless character. I wouldn't call it rebellion, though. It's more of an adventurous spirit. Or even a precocious one."

"Both adventurous and precocious are acceptable to me." Hades murmured. His tone must have revealed far more of his than he intended, for Persephone lost her brevity, only to be replaced with a shyness that he had come to know from her. She could only reply with a nervous laugh and she twirled her fingers around a few strands of her ash-blonde hair. Hades wondered what she thought of him, complimenting her and making light-hearted conversation.

"Well, since you won't take me to Tartarus, what else in this world of yours can you show me?" She asked timidly. Hades was amazed that she was still willingly spending time with him.

"Let's take a different path," Hades suggested. She had already likely seen the amphitheater where he and the judges of the Underworld decided the fate of newly deceased souls, but he did it care to draw any more negative attention to himself than necessary.

He continued to ponder where they should go next. when she came up to him, standing nearly toe to toe with Hades. He could see her hazel eyes so clearly now; they were more brown than they were green. Those thick, dark lashes that lined her eyes fluttered at him. Her perfect bow-shaped lips, the color of a rose in spring, smiled at him. The scent of flowers wafted from her skin and Hades inhaled a deep breath, hoping that she would not notice how he was absolutely intoxicated by her. Every muscle in his body ached to gather her in his arms, but Hades remained as still as stone while he waited for her to speak.

"Lead the way." Those enticing lips teased while her enchanting eyes sparkled. He could only grunt at her, like a dumb dog, and flail his arm in the direction that he wanted to take her. It was off the path, but Hades would lead her safely. So they went together further into the Underworld, Hades leading and Persephone following him at his side.

Hades ached to reach out and take her hand once more, or to even offer it to her again, but he did not want to spoil the comfortable companionship that they had eased into. This was the first time that he was having a true conversation with her; something that he had longed to do for ages. Instinct told him to tread carefully and to move slowly with the goddess. If he were to touch her again, it would startle her like a deer and she would flee from him. He did not want that. If there was any chance that he could turn her heart to him, then he would have to move forward at her pace.

And did she not deserve to be respected? Her boundaries and limits were not to be tested and he was the last person who should try. He had absolutely turned her world upside down and perhaps damned her to this life forever. Respecting her need for space and her wish to not be touched was the least that he could do for her now.

"So how did you find me?" Persephone's question drew Hades out of his brooding.

"A friend of mine told me that he spotted somebody who looked like they did not belong dashing behind a boulder. He said that they had a guilty countenance about them. I put two and two together and realized that I had a shadow following me around. I walked the path along the river and that's where I found you," Hades answered. Rhadamanthus had seen Persephone and that did not bode well with him, knowing how his friend could be with those that he desired. He hoped beyond hope that Rhadamanthus would remain uninterested; his voice and face did not express or betray any sort of emotion whatsoever when he was telling hades about spitting Persephone. To Hades, the lack of expression could mean anything from Rhadamanthus.

Persephone asked who that god was, for she admitted to seeing him, and where that part of the Underworld was. Hades explained it to her as briefly as he could; he did not want to shine a light on the judge of the Underworld anymore than there already was. Persephone must have sensed his apprehension, for she stopped questioning Hades on this particular topic. She did ask Hades what a judge of the Underworld was and what they did.

"Did you see that amphitheater carved straight into the ground? That is where I and others judge the newly arrived souls of the Underworld."

They ambled along further into the landscape and their conversation about judging the souls of the dead faded after a while. A silence settled between them but this time, it was not so pressing as before. There was an ease where there was once unease and Hades found that Persephone was scanning the world with curiosity. A bit further along off the path they went, and Hades brought Persephone to a steep hill that rose from the ground.

A series of grunts and groans sounded through the misty air and Persephone was suddenly crouching behind Hades, her keen eyes searching for the source of the noise.

"What is that?" She demanded, but Hades was far too distracted at how close she was to him. Her hands hovered just over his waist, coming dangerously close to touching, leaving but a few inches between her hands and his body.

"Look up," Hades managed to point up the hill. It was shrouded in a thick mist and the noise seemed to be coming from somewhere near the top. Persephone stepped out from behind Hades and peered into the gray sky.

"What is up there?" She breathed, her voice still thick with nerves.

"Wait a moment," Hades also had his sight trained on the hill. "You will see soon enough."

As they waited, the noises fell away and Hades heard a sigh of relief come from the misty hill. But as soon as the Underworld settled back into silence, there was a loud rumbling and then a stream of cursing. Persephone gasped as a large black stone came tumbling down the hill with a man chasing after it, his mouth the source of all the swearing.

"What is going on?" Persephone exclaimed, all traces of fear vanished. "Was he just pushing that boulder up the hill?"

The pair watched as the black boulder fell down the hill and settled nicely on the smooth, perfectly flat ground at the bottom. All cursing had stopped and the man slowed his pace to a defeated shuffle. Dutifully and with the same sort of methodical movement of the souls in the Asphodel Fields, he walked to the front of the boulder and gave a great heave. Persephone was fixated on this man, her mouth slightly agape as he carefully make his way up the top of the hill. Soon, he disappeared back into the mist on the hill, and those groans and grunts telling of his fruitless efforts returned.

"You have just meet the once great King Sisyphus; a devious trickster who thought that he was more clever than all of the gods. So, in a rare moment of unity, Zeus and I decided to display our inferior intelligence and concoct a proper punishment fitting for one so ingenious as he. He is doomed to forever roll this boulder up the hill, only for it to fall away from his grasp just as he reaches the top. It is an endless and fruitless venture, one he is to repeat for the end of time." Hades listened to the frustration of the disgraced king that sounded through the mist and he smirked, proud of his own cleverness. This man had tricked him and put him to shame; he got far too much satisfaction out of seeing Sisyphus go through this endless ordeal.

Beside him, he heard the slight giggle of a goddess.

"That is his eternal punishment?" Persephone cut her glance up at Hades, her eyebrows raised so far into her hairline, he feared that they would be gone forever. "And I was told that you were fearsome!"

"I am fearsome!" Hades retorted. "I just don't dole out horrendous punishments left and right. Those fearsome punishment must be deserved for the worst of offenses. What he did to the gods was just absurd so—"

"So he deserved an absurd punishment?" Persephone finished for him. "I can't imagine anything more aggravating. Hades, you are downright petty."

His name tumbling from her lips was enough to ignite his soul. Hades just smiled down at her and he was pleased to find that she smiled back without shying away or glancing at her feet.

"You're just like that hell-hound of yours; your bark is far worse than your bite." She quipped saucily. Was she teasing him?

"That is true, as long as one doesn't test me to where I have to bite more than I bark." Hades challenged playfully. "If you want proof of that, then I can show you Tartarus. But not today."

"Well I believe you. You wouldn't be the god of the Underworld if that wasn't the case." Persephone heard the tell-tale rumbling of the boulder and paused for a moment to watch the miserable Sisyphus chase his damned boulder down the hill. She let out a sardonic laugh and looked up at Hades. "Hopefully I won't ever be on the receiving end of your wrath, petty or fierce,"

"That, I doubt you ever will be," Hades' voice was hardly more than a whisper but Persephone still heard his words; she did not glance up at him but her cheeks flushed and she muttered that she would like to be moving on. They left the miserable Sisyphus behind, his exertions fading into the misty scenery.

Along Hades and Persephone went. She followed him as he made a path through a grove of leafless trees. A screech sounded above them and Persephone peered through the branches that pierced the sky.

"What are those things?" She pointed to the three flying figures in the gray clouds, their leathery skin and veiny, translucent wings the only distinguishable features that could be seen from below.

"Those are the Harpies," Hades muttered. "Generally, they are harmless if you don't draw attention to yourself. If you see them, just try to stay quiet and make steady, slow movements."

"That won't be too hard to do," Persephone noted while eying the harpies warily. Hades spent a moment more telling her more about the harpies and the role that they played in the Underworld. There wasn't too much for Hades to show Persephone on this path. Maybe someday, she would allow him to take her on another tour. Perhaps he could introduce her to one of his friends; Nyx would be the most likely candidate. Not Rhadamanthus.

Never Rhadamanthus.

The pair fell into a relaxed conversation as the two of them strolled amongst the dead pine trees. Along the path, the trees and grass were starting to lose their gray gloom and turn green and vibrant once more. The fog faded into clear, fresh air. In the far distance, hades spotted a familiar mountain range; one that signaled that they were nearly home.

At least, they were near his home. Persephone's home was far away in the land of the living.

Hades had just finished telling Persephone about all the landmarks of the Underworld, specifically the many rivers that ran a course through the land, when Persephone stopped in her tracks. She leaned against a pine tree, one with healthy green needles, and she cocked her head curiously at the god.

"You really love this place, don't you?" She questioned. "I can hear the pride in your voice when you speak of the Underworld and all of its dangers and mysteries and secrets."

Hades found a tree of his own to lean against, matching her stance. He crossed his arm over his broad chest and gazed at Persephone thoughtfully.

"When Zeus and Poseidon and myself drew straws for the different realms, I was tricked into pulling the straw and winning the Underworld," Hades explained. Persephone bristled at the sound of her father's name, but she nodded in understanding.

"At first I was enraged at my younger brothers fooling me into the worst of the realms. I resented this place as it was a constant reminder of my wicked kin and their devious plan against me; it was, to me, shameful to be god of the Underworld. But in time, I came to realize that I had been gifted the prize realm; the world of the living comes with chaos and strife. Yes, this realm has dangers and mystery as you say, but it also comes with a privilege that the upper worlds somehow fail to provide."

"And what would that be?" The goddess' interest was piqued. She was not challenging him or mocking him; she was genuinely curious for his perspective. Hades did not normally allow himself to be so transparent, but he could not help but let down his defenses with this girl.

"Peace," Hades answered confidently. "There is peace in the world of the dead. There is rest. Comfort. And end of suffering and strife, for those who lead moral and honorable lives. I can provide that to the souls of the once-living who pass through here. And I have brought it to myself as well. I have molded this world into everything I want it to be, and Zeus detests the idea of death so much that he refuses to come to my realm. He leaves me be. I can rule without interference. So yes, I am proud of my home and all who reside here, as dark and morbid as they may be. The Underworld suits me. It is a reflection of who I am."

"Is it now?" Persephone whispered. Hades found that he could not read her; she had a teasing bite to her words, but her face was soft. She had a smile on her lips. Her cheeks were flushed. For the thousandth time, Hades was desperate to know what thoughts were swimming through her mind.

So he decided that he would ask.

"It is. What do you see when you see the Underworld?"

At the sound of his question, Persephone lost the softness in her face. She tensed her shoulders and dropped her gaze from his. Her feet shuffled on the ground and it was a moment of tense silence before she finally met his eye.

"You might as well be asking what I see when I see you." Persephone was uncomfortable. Hades was too far deep into the question now. Instead of backing away, Hades wanted to draw himself into her space, just close enough to where he could be near her, but far enough away to where she wouldn't be touched. He stood up straight and closed the gap between them until he was towering above her.

"Yes. I am asking that," his deep voice murmured. Persephone only blinked at him, her eyes wide and nervous. Her chest rose as she inhaled a steadying breath before replying.

"I cannot give you an answer you would like. All I can see right now is the man who captured me against my will," Persephone explained. Hades was surprised that he did not feel more disappointed. In fact, he had half-expected her to lash out at him and unleash any pent up anger and frustration that she had towards him. This calm, albeit nervous reply was a surprise in of itself. And what she continued to say next was even more compelling.

"It is impossible to see anything else, even when I try to look beyond it."

Even when she tried to look beyond it? Hades pushed down the surge of hope that rose within his chest. It was foolish to hope. Selfish, even. His only goal should be trying to figure out how he could safely return her without undermining his own rule.

"Well...I suppose that I cannot blame you for that."

A snapping branch and rustling leaves sounded off not too far from where they stood. The sudden noise disturbed the unsteady peace between them. Hades' hair stood on the back of his neck, wondering which unwelcome resident of the Underworld was stalking close by them. Persephone whirled her head around in the direction of the noise, but she did not ponder it for long. When she turned back to Hades, there was a question on her face and her lips quietly formed the words that he dreaded to hear.

"Why me?"

Why her. How could he even begin to admit the truth? Persephone was smart. There was no doubt that she had an inkling of why he forced her to come to the Underworld, but he would have rather thrown himself into the depths of Tartarus than admit her suspicions out loud.

"Persephone…" Hades could not muster any words of denial or argument or lie. He just let himself fade into silence before he could even begin.

"Why did you choose me?" Persephone reiterated, a bit more forceful this time.

"Do you want the truth?" Hades stalled. He leaned his arm against the pine tree, inches away from touching her shoulder. Persephone did not seem to be too alarmed at how close he was getting. In fact, she took a step closer to him and peered up into his face with her jaw clenched firmly.

"Don't you think I deserve it?" She commanded. Her hard voice struck a chord in him and Hades realized that no matter what, he would be in the wrong as he had been from the beginning. There was nothing that he deserved to keep private or secret from her.

"I have...known of you for quite some time," Hades admitted hesitantly, wondering how he could be as honest as he could without being too revealing. "It was entirely an accident, how I stumbled upon you. But when I first saw you I…I could not stay away. The reason it took you was also an accident. I had no intentions of ever hurting you or causing you distress. In a moment of weakness, I... I did what I did."

Throughout his whole confession, Persephone's frown grew increasingly more furrowed and her nose wrinkled with displeasure by the second. He was beginning to see that her wrinkled nose was what she did when she was not pleased. He would have found it endearing if it had not been directed at him.

"So you have watched me? For how long," was her whispered demand.

"Close to a year." Hades hung his head as he mumbled at the ground.

"You still haven't said why you chose me. You saw me and you could not stay away? What does that tell me?" Persephone's voice did not hold the sting of her words; she sounded uncertain and confused. "And then you came back to my home and watched me for close to a year. So I want to know, why me? What is it about me that makes you want to watch me from the shadows and act foolishly?"

"I have no solid reason. No true way to justify my actions or my feelings but…" Hades lifted his head. Dark brown eyes locked with Hazel eyes. She waited patiently for him to reveal his heart to her. Once again, Hades expected the anger, but she continued to surprise him with resolute determination and calm demands. Why did he continue to underestimate her?

What did he have to lose by spilling his heart to her? Everything. And what did he have to gain by being honest with her? Everything.

"I am drawn to you. Ever since I first laid eyes on you, you unknowingly captivated me," It was surreal, telling the one he desired from afar for so long, how he felt towards her. The goddess in question just held his gaze as he rambled on, unable to stop the admission spilling from his lips.

"I went back time and time again to figure out what it was about this rare, mysterious goddess that drew me in like a moth to flame. So, like the tide of the ocean is drawn back to the shore over and over again, helpless against the call, I came back to you countless times, never able to make myself stay away."

When did he grow so near to her? That sweet smell of spring that he had come to know as hers wafted through the small space between them. She had lost the hardness in her expression, those hazel irises pooling with unspoken emotions. Hades had one last confession to whisper in a hushed and husky voice.

"And... the more that I see you, talk to you, spend time in your presence, the less of a mystery that calling is. The more I understand why I am drawn to you." Hades whispered his last confession in a hushed and husky voice. Persephone's lips parted, and he heard her exhale a shaky breath. The blush in her skin could have seared his fingertips if he had taken a chance to reach out and touch her.

"I see." She managed to strangle out a reply. "I must be going now."

Before he could even blink, Persephone turned on her heel and dashed off into the forest.

"Persephone— " He called in vain to her retreating back.

"I have to go!" Persephone shouted back, not even taking a second to look behind at him. "Annis is waiting for me!"

Hades watched with a sinking heart as the goddess disappeared into the piney forest. Persephone had demanded the truth; had he been a fool to give it to her? Should he have been honest without being so forthcoming? They had discovered a fragile peace and now it was shattered. He cursed himself for possibly soiling any chance that he had at bridging the gap between them. If he had not taken her, what could he be doing now to win her heart? There was more of a chance for him to be with her back before he took her than there ever would be now.

She would never be his.

And he had damned her to an eternity trapped in the Underworld for nothing. He had damned himself for nothing.

Suddenly, everything crashed over him in a wave and Hades was drowning beneath the weight of his unwise choices. He whirled around and his fist slammed into the nearest tree. The wood splintered beneath the force of his strike and pine needles fluttered helplessly to the ground. For a long while, Hades stood there unmoving, his hand still resting heavily on the broken trunk.

False dreams. Unfulfilled hopes. Wishes that would never come to pass.

Somewhere in the Underworld, Hades wondered if there were a few silvery leaves that were budding from the branches of an Elm tree, one that was to be feared and to bring comfort, even if both of those were a farce.

* * *

 **Persephone**

* * *

Persephone felt as though her heart was going to fall into her stomach. She raced through the forest, dodging pine trees and bushes and trying to keep her feet from stumbling. Her lungs ached as they pulled in air. She could hardly see where her wildly running feet were taking her – her mind was thick with thoughts of what had just happened.

Hades.

Her and Hades together, walking through the Underworld as if strolling through a harmless garden. Her and Hades casually discussing the complexities of the Elm tree. Her and Hades casually discussing anything at all. Her and Hades spending any sort of time together.

Her and Hades.

And she loathed how she did not loathe the sight of him. She should have! She should have demanded that he leave her be, to go back to his friend in the Elysian Fields, to never speak to her unless it was to return her to her home!

That is how it should have been. And yet, Persephone could not muster the fury to do any of those things. Instead, she allowed him to lead her around his realm, her hand warmly in his.

Persephone slowed her mad pace down to a brisk stroll. The dark turrets of the castle were peeking out from the pine trees. She was close to home now.

Persephone shook her head and grumbled. "No. Not my home. His home, where he keeps me prisoner."

But Persephone did not truly feel as she were kept a prisoner. She had freedom to roam and a friend to keep her company. Even her jailor was not a monster. In fact, Persephone found herself enjoying his companionship.

As she explored the Underworld, Persephone discovered that this world was not the dark and gloomy pit of despair that everyone feared it to be.

It was beautiful. It was mysterious. It was intriguing. It was wild and free and tantalizing.

Those were her honest opinions on the Underworld – the opinions that she could not, would not voice aloud to Hades. How could she? The Underworld was a reflection of its creator, and if she had those views and feelings about the Underworld, then admitting that to Hades would be admitting her opinions about the creator.

Those of which would be better off left alone. Yet it caused her to wonder more than once what she would feel if she had come to this place on her own and had come to know Hades without being flung into it.

It would be better off left alone, Persephone reiterated to herself. Even so, she appreciated how he had taken her around the Underworld and taught her countless things that she would never have known otherwise. Nobody had ever been so open and willing to teach her things before. Persephone felt rather silly for letting her pride stand in the way of just asking Hades questions; Demeter had not been so forthcoming with her. She was grateful to have taken this chance while she could. It was mostly the reason why she had gone with him. The other reasons why, Persephone did not know.

His handsome face smiling down at her had certainly not been one of the reasons why. In fact, she only found him handsome in a way that one found a sculpture to be…aesthetically pleasing.

Or how a painting could be so enchanting that you could sit and study it for hours on end and never grow tired of discovering all the details that the artist had so lovingly painted…

Oh, it was pointless! Persephone hated that she thought him handsome. Persephone hated that she had begun to relax in his presence; he was peaceful and steadfast like one of the many sturdy pine trees that grew around his castle. The timber of his voice was one that she could find herself listening to with ease, wanting him to tell her more about his world just so that she could hear him speak.

How infuriating! She was supposed to despise him for what he did, not enjoy his good humor and kind manner. How could anyone who showed her such respect and compassion be the same man who stole her from her home? Persephone felt the pull from each side of her heart; the justified wariness and anger towards him and the surprising interest that was brewing for this god of the Underworld.

Then Persephone recalled the reason why she had left him so suddenly. The reason that both exhilarated and terrified her.

Hades' own feelings for her should not have surprised her. But Persephone had believed from the very beginning that it was purely lust and desire that drove him to take her. She had to contend with the fact that Hades had not laid a finger on her that she did not consent to and she could not figure out what it could be that was holding him back. For whatever it was, she was grateful! Never once did Persephone think that Hades would want her for anything more than fulfilling his selfish needs. She did not consider that he could care for her. Or be drawn to her, like he had admitted with his dark eyes smoldering and his voice betraying his desire lying beneath the surface.

And she had to flee. She could not even begin to face the truth. Not when she herself was so frazzled by everything he said and did.

Persephone finally came to the marble steps leading to the castle entrance and slowly lumbered up each step, her feet feeling like they weighed a hundred pounds each. This was far too much for her to bear. She tried to force her mind to idle while she made her way back to her room. Annis was not waiting for her. Persephone had no earthly clue where Annis could even be and truthfully, Persephone just wanted to be alone. Just for a moment.

Her now-familiar doors greeted her and Persephone shoved them aside, ready to fall into bed and miserably ponder her life. But as soon as she stepped into the room, Persephone saw that she was not alone as she wished to be.

Minthe was perched right on top of her bed, scarlet locks flowing down her shoulders and a wicked smile beaming on her face.

* * *

 **OH SNAP MINTHE! Thanks guys for reading the latest chapter! It was a big bunch of fluffy fluff for you all :) I hope that you enjoyed it! Stay tuned for the next installment which should be coming very very soon. Leave some love on your way out 3**


	7. Tainted Memories and Hopeful Light

**AN - *WARNING* SUPER LONG CHAPTER AHEAD! And this chapter comes with a trigger warning; it might not be needed but I want to be cautious and respectful of my readers. I'll put an asterisk where it starts and ends so that, if needed, it can be skipped. But as always, thank you for reading the latest installment or Twilight Maiden. Huge love and hugs to all my wonderful readers!**

* * *

 **Persephone**

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Persephone hissed at the intruder. Her heart was pounding wildly against her chest and a heated mixture of anger and fear bubbled in her stomach. She wanted to march across the room and slap that smug smile from Minthe's face, but she could not muster the courage to do so. Instead she glared at her from a safe distance, standing by the open door, just in case she needed to run.

"Oh, come on now," Minthe crooned, rising from the bed and sauntering over to where Persephone was planted firmly in her spot. "You don't need to be so hostile." She batted her eyelashes playfully but her green irises glinted coldly, and a shiver ran down Persephone's spine.

"So, you want to be friends now?" Persephone growled, keeping her eyes trained on the Nymph's every move. Minthe's dazzling smile soured and she stopped just a few precious feet away.

"Of course not," she spat venomously. "I know that Annis has taken pity on you and become your friend, but I have no such pity and no such desire. But rest assured that I won't lay a finger on Hades' precious new plaything. I was warned not to, and I would hate to disobey. That would only spoil Hades' good opinion of me."

"Hades' good opinion of you?" Persephone scoffed, sounding far bolder than she felt. "From what I saw, he was not too friendly towards you. In fact, he even seemed like he was not happy with you for attacking me." Even though her heart was still beating like a drum, Persephone was pleased to see the color drain Minthe's rosy cheeks.

"Hades doesn't know what he wants. He thinks that he desires you, but I highly doubt that a little twig like you could satisfy him." She was moving uncomfortably close to Persephone now. Her emerald eyes were glimmering once again, like a snake ready to strike at a helpless mouse. "For a time, Hades and I used to be lovers. Did you know that?" Minthe enquired with words as cool as a winter breeze and a triumphant smile on her lips.

"I had my suspicions," Persephone snipped, trying to sound uninterested but cursing herself for how strangled her words came out. Without warning, Minthe's fingers suddenly grabbed Persephone's chin and she shook the goddess' face roughly.

"What a smart goddess you are! Nothing gets past you, does it?" The other woman teased, talking to Persephone as if she were a small child who needed praise.

"What do you want? Why did you come here to harass me?" Persephone yanked her chin out of Minthe's cruel grasp and slapped the offending hand away. It gave her a wicked satisfaction that Minthe backed a few steps from her, mouth agape in surprise, and was rubbing her hand where Persephone struck her.

"Harass you?" Minthe laughed without any trace of mirth. "What silly thoughts go through your head! I am here to tell you that Hades is mine." Her expression darkened, and the air of the room grew thick with tension.

"I want him back," Minthe snarled while fixing Persephone with a withering glare. She sucked in a sharp breath and tried to force back the waves of terror that threatened to drown her. Memories of that knife held to the vulnerable skin of her throat were so strong, she could practically feel the sharp coldness of the blade. The hair on the back of her neck stood on up and every single one of of her instincts screamed at her to flee. But as their stalemate wore on, Persephone grew less afraid of Minthe. Righteous anger took place of fear; how dare this Nymph come into her room, threaten and demean her, all for the affections of a god that Persephone did not even desire.

So, then and there Persephone decided to stand her ground. She threw back her shoulders and stuck her chin out at the glowering Nymph.

"Then. Go. Get. Him," Persephone ordered, emphasizing each word with a stab. "He is yours for the taking. I won't stop you." Enough was enough; Persephone was finished with Minthe. She did not even wait for Minthe to reply as she roughly shoved past the Nymph and stormed into her room. Her head was spinning out of control and Persephone wanted to push any idea of Hades and Minthe together as lovers out of her mind. How Hades could ever want a cruel and volatile woman such as Minthe was beyond her.

"Don't you lie to me!" Minthe growled and Persephone whirled around, only to find that she was face-to-face with a scowling Nymph.

"How am I lying to you?" Persephone demanded hotly. "I don't want to be his lover." She spat out the word with as much distaste as she could muster. "I just want to go home."

"You say that and yet, you and Lord Hades seemed quite cozy on your little stroll through the Underworld together" Minthe simpered, trying to regain her cool demeanor, but instead her cheeks were nearly the color of her hair. "I would say that I do have myself some competition, but a little goddess is hardly a match for someone like me. Someone who already knows Lord Hades, who knows how to please a god like him—"

"Were you the one rustling around in the forest? You were spying on us? How childish!" Persephone butted in before Minthe could finish her vulgar thought. "If you were willing to go so far as to sneak around in the woods like an animal and watch Hades with his 'new plaything' then I would guess that you aren't as confident as you seem. Could it be that you do feel threatened? By me? The little twiggy goddess?"

It was amazing how quickly Minthe's skin went from red to white and back to red again. Persephone was painfully aware that she was dancing on thin ice by purposefully poking at this dangerous woman's wrath, but she refused to let Minthe be victorious this time.

"What do you know about anything?" Minthe's nose was practically touching hers and Persephone was disgusted that she could feel the Nymph's breath on her face.

"Well, apparently nothing gets by me. You just said that earlier." Persephone crooned, trying to match Minthe's simpering tone that she had used before.

Minthe's entire body coiled like a lion ready to pounce. Persephone braced herself for the attack, tensing her own arms and shoulders and hoping that she was strong enough to fend her off. Seconds passed. Persephone and Minthe locked their gazes, waiting for the other to be the first to move.

"Minthe! What in the gods' name are you doing here?" To Persephone's utmost relief, a familiar voice shouted into Persephone's room. Both Persephone and Minthe whipped their heads around in the direction of the door and there was Annis, her brown hair all a mess, standing on the threshold.

"There's always someone here to save you," Minthe quipped saucily. She smirked with her eyes still burning with hatred and had the audacity to reach up and wiggle Persephone's chin one more time. Persephone just tried to seem just as cold as Minthe and silently stared her down. Minthe flounced out of the room, having to go past Annis before leaving.

"I see you had some fun," she teased, pointing at the other Nymph's ruffled hair. Annis just rolled her eyes and threw her hair over her shoulder.

"Between the two of us, at least one of us is," Annis snapped without a beat. Minthe's smirk turned into a pout and she stormed away. Once a Persephone saw Minthe's retreating back, she exhaled all the air in her lungs and fell back heavily onto her bed.

"Persephone! Are you alright!" Annis slammed the doors shut and rushed to her friend's side.

"I'm still alive so, I would say that I'm alright," Persephone was staring blankly at the beautifully tiled ceiling above her as she lay on the bed. Annis sat beside her and leaned over Persephone, blocking her view. Her amber eyes were overflowing with concern.

"What did I just walk into?"

"She came into my room and started harassing me. Minthe is like one of those things. Those...Harpies, I think that they're called?"

"What a perfect comparison!" Annis laughed. Persephone sat up and found that she was shaking all over; from relief or from adrenaline, or possibly both.

"I've never argued with another person like that before in my life. I've never stood up for myself. It's always been the Nymphs and my mother who spoke for me." Persephone gushed excitedly, still reeling from the intensity of her encounter. She glanced over at Annis, still sitting beside her with an amused grin.

"Doing it myself was thrilling; empowering, even!" Persephone continued on, not caring if Annis found her to be ridiculous. "Now I know that I can fight for myself, defend myself, and not back down."

"I am so happy that you are having this moment of self-discovery," Annis could not help but giggle at Persephone's excitement and she patted her knee in a friendly way. "But it was good that I came when I did. Minthe was ready to pounce on you!"

"And I would have fought back!" Persephone exclaimed confidently.

"I don't doubt that you would have! But it's better that you avoid any sort of bickering or fighting with her," Annis advised solemnly. "I don't mean to rain on your parade, but I would hate to see you hurt. Minthe is rotten and not above doing anything to get what she wants. There is a reason that she has no friends here in the Underworld."

"I know, I know, you are right." Persephone sighed. "She would have killed me. But at least I would have not played dead like I did the last time she tried."

"Very true! I guess I shouldn't leave you alone anymore if Minthe takes advantage the first chance that she gets." Annis grumbled. Persephone opened her mouth to wholeheartedly agree with her, but then stopped herself from saying the words that hovered on her lips. The truth of the matter was...

"I actually was having quite an interesting day before Minthe decided to show her face." Persephone revealed and was pleased to see that Annis was surprised and even seemed happy at this news.

"Really? And what sort of nonsense did you get yourself into?"

"Excuse me? What sort of nonsense did you get yourself into?"

"None of the sort that I can tell you about."

"I'm dying to meet this friend of yours. It looks like he treated you well." Persephone quipped while reaching out and smoothing Annis' tell-tale frazzled locks.

Annis gasped in mock-horror and playfully swatted Persephone on her hand. "You wicked girl!" She cried out and the two broke out into a fit of giggles.

Persephone was enjoying having Annis as a friend. There was countless things that she admired about her; she was bold and outspoken and unafraid to stand up for herself and for others.

For as adventurous and precocious as Persephone's mother swore that she was, Persephone had grown up timid and shy and having her battles fought for her, as rare as that was. She lived her life under her mother's thumb and the Nymph's constant fawning. She wanted to be like Annis. Persephone covered that boldness and the more she spent time with Annis, the more Persephone was inspired to tap into her own boldness.

Their laughter died down and Annis was staring intently at Persephone, and it took her a moment to realize that Annis was waiting on her to relay her day's adventures.

"Well, if you are curious...Hades and I went on a walk together. He showed me around the Underworld."

"What? You did what?"

"Spent time with the god of the Underworld."

"And how was it?"

"It was fine." Persephone replied rather shortly. She left out Hades' confession of his feelings. She left out her own conflict that tugged at her heart from both directions. Persephone would have been fine with pretending that neither existed. She instead stayed with neutral topics, such as Cerberus and the Harpies and Sisyphus. Persephone relayed the few sighs that Hades had shown her, all the while wanting to wipe the smug grin from Annis' lips.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Persephone finally stopped her storytelling to call Annis out on her strange smiling.

"Because it seems like you don't hate the Underworld or the ones you reside here," Annis answered knowingly. Persephone just sighed and did not care to admit if any part of that was true.

"Well, I suppose that meeting you and becoming your friend hasn't been so bad," was all that Persephone would say to that. "I would still rather go home," she muttered. Annis nodded in agreement but still had that damned smile on her face.

And speaking of going home, Persephone had yet to ask about that god with the golden hair. She had every intention of asking, but there was a hesitation to do so and it bothered her. Why did she feel guilt when she gathered the courage to ask about him? Each time she did, Persephone decked back into memories, not unpleasant, of her time with Hades. It was maddening! Foolish!

But even so, Persephone could not bring herself to do it. She decided against it for the time being. Their conversation slowly eased into something else with Annis, for the time being, forgetting all about her time with Hades and Persephone trying to ignore that nagging question left unspoken.

* * *

This was actually a welcome change of pace; Annis had decided that Persephone was comfortable enough in the Underworld to introduce her to some of the other, friendly Nymphs that also lived in the castle. Some of them were familiar faces that she had seen on her first disastrous encounter with Minthe. They had all mysteriously vanished, not to be seen again until Minthe summoned them to come and properly meet the goddess that had found herself in the realm of the dead.

The four Nymphs that Annis had called to the throne room to meet Persephone gathered around her in a tittering storm, asking her questions and trying to get a closer look at their lovely guest. At first, Persephone had been overwhelmed with these new friends and been shy with them while they asked her dozens of questions at a rapid pace, but Annis shooed them a few feet away when she saw that Persephone was smothered by their attention.

It did not take long though, for their excitement to die down and for Persephone to become friends with them all. A week had lazily drifted by ever since her walk with Hades and confrontation with Minthe, neither of which Persephone had seen since. She was grateful that Minthe was nowhere to seen, but irritated that once again, Hades was making himself scarce.

Persephone and her new passel of friends were lounging in the garden, their newest favorite place to gather, where lush rose bushes bloomed and their air was thick with their fragrance. They were discussing Annis' secret lover and begging her to reveal his identity. Annis just blushed prettily and coquettishly denied having a lover of any sort.

"He couldn't be Rhadamanthus, could he?" A nymph with curly blonde hair and sky-blue eyes inquired. "I don't believe that he's had a steady lover for a long time. He's likely to be in need of a companion!"

"Oh come now, Carin. You know that I despise him! I would never let him touch me. Not even if he were the last man left in the Underworld," Annis chastised. To her left was another nymph with red hair, though her locks were a rich, warm auburn instead of Minthe's blood-colored scarlet. She spoke up with her own tidbit of gossip.

"He might have already found somebody," she whispered. "I hear that Minthe has been seen sulking around the Elysian Fields. Maybe he has taken up with her?"

Persephone rolled her eyes and hugged at the sound of Minthe's name but the news of her being this god's lover sent the Nymphs into a swarm of whispers and speculation. Persephone day there and listened to them all discuss this latest development but she found herself oddly out of the loop. She was sitting on the other side of the Auburn-haired Nymph and leaned in close to her so that the others couldn't hear.

"Sara, who is this Rhadamanthus? And the Elysian Fields are what now?" Sara's brown irises widened and she hastily apologized for not explaining herself. Persephone just as hastily assured her that it was fine and once again asked who and what everyone was going on about. There seemed to be a mutual agreement, with everyone except for Annis who was scowling, that this god's love was one to envy..

"Rhadamanthus is a god that resides in the Elysian Fields. That place is where the souls of heroes and gray mortals go to spend eternity. He is also one of Lord Hades' most trusted judges; he sits at his right hand when Lord Hades judges who will go to the Elysian Fields and who will not. And, well…" Sara blushed beneath the smattering of freckles across her cheeks. "As you can see he is, uh, quite popular with the Nymphs. Honestly, Persephone, he is a beautiful god. I would say that he's even more handsome than Lord Hades—"

"Yes! He is, but Lord Hades has the prestige and the power!" Another Nymph, one who had clearly been listening in, chimed in from across the circle. "I find that far more desirable than looks!" Once again, the Nymphs fell into a discussion about who they preferred more; Lord Hades or this mysterious Rhadamanthus. Persephone fell back into silence and wondered if she had accidentally seen the god and judge in question; the god with the silver hair beyond the mable gates. Not for the first time, Persephone ached to find out who he was. If he was indeed this Rhadamanthus, then Sara did not lie; he was beautiful.

Her mind drifted aimlessly with the brief glimpse she had of the silver-haired god, remembering the moment where her gaze met his and she dashed back into her hiding place. Had he actually seen her? Who did he think that she was? Would Hades allow her to meet him—

"All of you are forgetting who the most handsome and powerful god is, and before I came here to the Underworld, he chose me to be his lover for a night. Zeus himself!"

Persephone was rudely pulled from her daydreams and cut her eyes ruefully over to the Nymph that had uttered her father's name. The others gasped in disbelief and immediately began to call her a liar, but Annis shushed this Nymph.

"Hush your mouth!" Annis hissed at the bemused Nymph. "Don't brag about things that aren't true!"

The Nymph shook her head and soft, black waves of hair fluttered gracefully over her shoulders. "I am not a liar, Annis. There's no need for you to be jealous—"

"I'm hardly jealous!" Annis snapped. "Zeus is Persephone's father and—" Annis' eyes widened and she looked over at Persephone. A silence fell over the circle of Nymphs and five pairs of eyes were suddenly fixated on the goddess, every last one of them asking questions begging to be answered.

"Oh, Persephone I'm...I'm so sorry," Annis stammered apologetically. "I didn't mean to tell them, I just...I wasn't thinking…" Persephone's throat closed around her words and she felt the color drain from her face. The Nymph who had been bragging about being with Zeus was several shades of red and her eyes cut nervously back and forth between Annis and Persephone.

"I'm guessing that there is no love lost between you and your father," Sara prompted as she tried to ease the tension in the circle, but Persephone's mouth was heavy. Then the questions began to trickle into the circle.

Why did she hate her father? Had she ever met him? What did he do to lose your love?

Tears watered her vision as she stared back at all the curious faces. Annis was chewing her lip as she braced herself for Persephone to chastise her, but Persephone could not. Yes, she loathed any mention of Zeus but for a Nymph to gleefully brag about being with him as if he were a prize to be won...

That more than anything cut her heart into pieces and she would refuse to explain to them why. It was her mother's tale of sorrow and it was not for Persephone to share as if it were meaningless drivel.

"None of this is any of your concern!" Persephone cried out, cutting off all of the Nymphs and they instantly fell silent again. It dawned on her that the Nymphs were all gazing up at her; when did she stand up? Her body had moved of its own accord, acting out what she was imagining; fleeing. Getting away from all of these nosy Nymphs and their stupid questions and their ignorant desires.

And that was exactly what she did. Before she could even blink, Persephone's feet were dashing out of the circle and the voices of the Nymphs pleading for her to come back fell on deaf ears. As she was running from the grove of rose bushes, Annis was hot on her heels. She grabbed Persephone's arm and brought her to a halt.

"Persephone, please! I am so sorry." Persephone turned to look at Annis over her shoulder and saw that her friend was nearly in tears. "I was just trying to help."

Persephone was not so sure how Annis had been trying to help. She tugged her arm out of Annis' grasp.

"I just need a moment," Persephone muttered and did not wait for Annis to try to convince her to come back to the circle, and to her relief, Annis let her go without another word. The cool shadows of the castle greeted her as she made her way inside and Persephone stormed down the empty hallways. She wanted to go to a place that was not overrun with giggling Nymph and she had the perfect place in mind; the underground springs.

Try as she might, Persephone could not shake the sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her mood darkened each time Zeus' name raced unwelcome inside of her mind. Persephone groaned and raked her fingers through her hair, tangling the smooth strands in the process. The name of the god of gods was forbidden to be spoken. Anyone who dared to utter his name was punished harshly be Demeter and then banished. Persephone was not accustomed to hearing that name thrown around so casually, and so often, and it was beginning to wear on her and bring up sore feelings that she preferred to keep bottled up tight.

But it was nearly impossible to pretend that Zeus did not play a part in her life. Her very existence in of itself was a harsh reminder of just how inexplicably bound she was to the god. Persephone could not hold back the memories that she was desperately trying to keep at bay, so instead she delved into deep, dark waters of the circumstances of her birth.

The dark stain on Demeter's past.

Long before Persephone was born, Demeter had been a carefree, lively, and lovely goddess of the harvest. Instead of living on Mount Olympus with the other gods and goddesses, Demeter preferred to make her home on the earth; she loved to secretly mingle with the mortals, specifically with farmers and people who prayed to her for her blessings. One of the reasons that Demeter kept her distance from the other immortals was because of her brother Zeus – Demeter learned that she was the latest object of his desire and when he had made unwanted advances towards her, she fled the home of the immortals to live a simple life. Nobody on Olympus had an inkling of where she ran off to and Demeter wanted to keep it that way; she knew that once Zeus desired her, he would stop at nothing before he had her.

It was not long before she fell in love with a mortal man and they began an affair. He had no idea that he had taken a goddess as a lover and Demeter did not want him to know who she truly was. The goddess wanted to keep her true identity a secret. She hoped for this man to love her for herself and not for her status as an immortal. Demeter spent the next year happily pretending to be a mortal, all while keeping her distance from her immortal siblings.

Demeter's happiness did not last long. Zeus discovered that Demeter had dared to spurn his advances to choose a mere mortal man as her lover over him. He became enraged and decided to exact his revenge on her.

Zeus came down to the earth and disguised himself as a mortal. He met with Demeter's lover, pretending to be a wealthy man who wanted to buy his land. Zeus made an offer that would be foolish to refuse; to purchase his and give him enough money to make him a rich man for the rest of his days. Of course, the man was thrilled and eager to accept this proposal but Zeus had a stipulation; the man was to leave his lover and never speak to her again. Confused and angry, the man denied Zeus' offer without a second thought and demanded that he leave him be. This man was so in love with Demeter and refused to leave her, even for all the money in the world.

Enraged that this man's love for Demeter was stronger than his desire for wealth, Zeus then revealed himself to the mortal. Zeus told the terrified man that he was going to punish him for trying to elevate himself as one of the gods by taking a goddess as his lover. The man desperately swore to Zeus that he had never taken any goddess as his lover; Zeus of course knew that the man had no idea who Demeter actually was, but that did not stop him from doing what he did next.

He killed the man without any mercy or pity and then took his identity as his own.

Zeus, disguised once again but this time as Demeter's lover, came to her and pretended to be him. They spent a passionate night together with Demeter thinking the entire time that she was with her mortal lover. Then when the sun rose in the morning sky, the man's face fell away and to Demeter's horror, Zeus revealed himself. Shameless and remorseless, Zeus relayed every detail about what he had done to the mortal man. He told her that she deserved this pain and this trickery for denying him and choosing a pathetic mortal instead.

Demeter was devastated. In her grief, she snuck away to a place where she thought that nobody could find her and she served her patrons from afar.

Then Demeter found out that she was with child, and she there was no doubt in her mind that it was Zeus' child.

That was the only bright spot in the darkness that shrouded her over the next few years. Persephone's birth and life were Demeter's saving grace, her reason to keep on going. It took her a long time for her to be happy again but she found joy in raising her daughter.

But it came at a price. Demeter was petrified that her daughter, innocent and sweet, of being violated in the way she had been. So she kept her child's existence a secret. Only the Nymphs that she trusted were able to reside with them in their hidden home knew of Persephone. As Persephone grew from a lovely child into a beautiful goddess, her paranoia grew with her. She kept her daughter under her thumb, never allowing her to leave or teaching her about the world outside of their home. Of course Persephone resented her mother's strict rules. Of course Persephone was curious to know what life outside of their home was like. But her loyalty and love for her mother kept her from acting on her dreams. It was guilt that tied her obediently to her home. Some part of Persephone hoped that in time, her mother's fear would fade and she would once again become the goddess that she was before Zeus defiled her.

Whispers from the Nymphs spoke of the Demeter who was once happy and carefree and vibrant. Now she was solemn and withdrawn, only showing affection for her daughter. Persephone hated Zeus for stealing away her mother's joy. She would never forgive him for destroying the goddess that Demeter was and never giving her a chance to know that side of her own mother.

So to hear anyone singing his praises or desiring to be intimate with him or directing any sort of positivity in his direction was more than Persephone could bear. She loathed the god with all of her being. For her entire life, it was engrained into her to despise him. Demeter made sure of it.

Persephone hardly knew where she was going and forgot that she had even wanted to go to the underground springs until a wave of warm, moist air hit her. Somehow she had walked the entire way to the springs, opened the door, and walked into the cavern without even realizing it. She stood there like a statue, numbly comprehending her surroundings and wondering if she should just forget about taking a bath and go back to her room.

Over the sound of the gently flowing water of the springs, Persephone heard a worried voice speak her name, the sound of his voice both calming her frazzled nerves yet striking her heart into a frantic rhythm.

Hades.

Persephone whirled around in the direction of his voice and saw the god sitting in the water, bare-chested and leaning casually against the stone wall of the cavern with his arms resting on the ledge behind him, looking just as surprised to see her as she was to see him.

She would have given anything for the earth to open up right then and there to swallow her whole.

In the confines of her mind, Persephone thanked all the gods that she knew of, save for her father, that Hades' top-half was the only part that was exposed. Her cheeks were flaming and she swore that she saw steam rising for her own face. And yet, she could not tear herself from the sight of him sitting in the water. It was not an unpleasant view.

He continued to stare at her questioningly until Persephone remembered that he had asked her a question; was she alright?

"I am - I'm fine," Persephone peeped in a tiny voice and begging herself to stop blushing. "I'm sorry that I, uhh, burst in here without seeing if you, or anyone else, was inside."

Hades was grinning at her obvious bashfulness at catching him mid-bath.

"No apology needed," he assured gently. "I would be more than happy to leave so that you can have this place to yourself." Hades' offer was kind, considerate even, and Persephone could not understand why she didn't demand that he leave. In fact, she did not want to lose his company. She had changed her mind about a bath, but Persephone found that she wanted to talk to him.

"I hate Zeus," she blurted out. Hades was taken aback by her blunt statement.

"You're not the only one," he answered carefully. Persephone walked to the edge of the spring and sat down on the stop of the stone steps that lead into the water. She put her feet into the springs, savoring the comforting warmth that enveloped her. Hades stayed put where he was on the opposite end of the spring and waited patiently for her to continue.

"Do you know…" Persephone did not look at Hades as she swirled her fingers over the dancing surface of the water. "Do you know what he did to my mother?" She managed to look up from the water and locked her gaze onto Hades. She could not say why she wanted to talk to Hades about this. Nothing about her life made sense anymore.

Hades did not speak for a long while. The wheels in his mind were turning and Persephone could tell that he was carefully weighing what his answer would be. It touched her that he would try to consider how his words would wound her and that he was trying to ease some of the inevitable sting. He lifted his hand and ruffled his damp hair nervously.

"It is known that Zeus tricked Demeter as a punishment for rejecting him and instead fraternizing with a mortal," Hades sighed. Persephone had expected as much. From what she learned of Zeus over the course of her life, he would have boasted of his actions to anyone who would have listened.

"Do you know if Zeus is aware that he has a daughter?" Persephone dared to ask, not that it mattered to her if Zeus had any knowledge of her or not. She was just curious if Zeus ever learned that his vile actions were what created her life.

"There are rumors," Hades began hesitantly. "That Demeter gave birth to a daughter after Zeus' actions. Many in Olympus never believed that rumor, but none would be surprised if they learned the truth."

"There were rumors about me?" Persephone perked up when she heard this; Demeter had been so careful to hide her from the prying eyes of the gods and goddesses and Persephone had never been keen on her own existence being kept so hush-hush. So to learn that she was not so secret as thought made her oddly happy. "What did they say about me?"

Hades laughed and to Persephone, he sounded a bit nervous. "Well, there was one rumor that said that you were more beautiful than Aphrodite herself and I can attest to the fact that Aphrodite was not pleased to hear that. She was one of the ones who adamantly denied that you were real."

"I hardly doubt that I'm more beautiful than the goddess of love," Persephone scoffed lightheartedly. When Hades did not agree with her doubt and just gazed at her tenderly from across the pool, she quickly ducked her head and focused intently on staring at her feet through the clear water.

"In any case, it doesn't matter to me if Zeus knows or cares about me," she mumbled to her feet. "I was raised to never feel anything but spite for him."

"He is a poor excuse for a god and a poor excuse for a father." Hades agreed solemnly. Persephone's lips curled into a smile, loving that Zeus' own brother did not seem to feel any more kindly about him than she did. But just as soon as it came, her smile died and fell into a scowl.

"A part of me, a deep, deep, part of me wished that I didn't hate him. I wish that my mother had not taught me to loathe him." Persephone admitted. "And it's selfish, the reason why. What he did was awful, terrible, and I have every right to feel no love for him. I just spent far too much of my childhood hating the part of me that was a part of him."

"Persephone…" The tender tone that he used to say her name brought a storm of butterflies in her chest. It was compelling and Persephone had no choice but to look up from her feet and meet his dark gaze. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned forward, his expression serious, sincere. "You cannot help who your father is or what part he played to bring you into this world."

"I understand that now. It was a battle that I fought for many, many years. I finally had to accept that Zeus was my father. I used to imagine that the mortal man was my real father instead. But I am not naive enough to believe that is a possibility. It used to scare me to pieces that my mother resent me for being half of him. I wanted so badly to be the mortal man's daughter because I was afraid that she did not love the part of me that was Zeus. 'If only I were the mortal's daughter instead, then she would love every bit of me,' I would tell myself. Even though I nearly had myself convinced that the god we all despised was not my true father, I was never naive enough to fully believe that lie." She sighed a sigh so heavy that it felt as though she were releasing the lifelong burdensome weight of her lineage of her entire life

"I know that I am a daughter of Zeus," she dully confessed. "There are traits of mine that I certainly don't inherit from my mother. That's why my mother sees my adventurous ways and precocious spirit as rebellion. The traits that you see as acceptable, she sees as harsh reminders of who sired me. For as long as I can remember, my mother has been trying to force me into a mold, trying to turn me into the goddess that she used to be. I love her dearly, but it was tiresome at times to be her daughter. She has desperately tried to stamp out any trace of Zeus from my character, but I'm afraid that it's all been in vain. The older that I become, the more bold I am. The more outspoken I get. Even since arriving here, I've seen a change in me. And it should scare me, right? I should be disgusted that I am becoming more of my father's daughter instead of my mother's daughter."

Persephone watched to see if Hades would agree with her, but it relieved her that instead, he was shaking his head and smiling warmly in her direction.

"You are not becoming Zeus's daughter or Demeter's daughter. You are becoming yourself. You are becoming Persephone," Hades encouraged and he was causing Persephone's heart to flutter helplessly.

"I would just give anything for her to move past her fear and to love me for who I am and for who I will become," Persephone's wish was hardly more than a whisper and she feared that Hades would not hear her. But he did.

"She will," Hades promised. "I have no doubt that Demeter loves you more than she loves herself. It might be a painful process for her to let go and stand off to the side to watch her daughter grow into the woman that she is meant to be. But she should not be afraid of who you are becoming. She should be proud of the goddess that I see sitting before me."

"Thank you," she breathed, in awe of how much she was comforted by him. How strange it was to her, that she was seeking and finding assurance from Hades, god of the Underworld and her kidnapper. How had everything become so twisted and nonsensical? But instead of being frustrated or closing her heart to him, Persephone was grateful for his words of assurance. What he was telling her in this cavern was words she had craved to hear for her entire life. The only sounds that filled the cavern were those of the gentle waters lapping on the stone. Persephone did not want to tear her eyes from Hades' face and for once, she did not find herself afraid of what that meant.

"I have to get out now." Hades said after a few more minutes of silence. His smile was sheepish and Persephone did not know why he was telling her this.

"Then get out," she laughed awkwardly. Hades' entire face lit up with a mischievous smirk.

"So you're fine with me just standing up, right now?" He teased and then Persephone knew exactly what was going on; he was trying to give her a warning.

"Oh. No, I'm not fine with that!" Persephone could have burned herself from the intensity of her blush. "Just let me, uhh, turn around." She shuffled around she until her back was facing the pool and held her hands against her face to shield her view from anything that she did not want to see. There was a great sloshing of water as Hades was undoubtedly standing up. The thought crossed her mind that Minthe would probably be holding her head under the water, full of jealous rage, if she knew what was happening now. Hades must have exited the pool from a different spot, for he did not walk behind her to use the steps, and she heard him make his way over to where the robes and dry towels were stashed.

Minthe didn't have a anything to be jealous of, really, Persephone rationalized. She wasn't rushing over there to jump into his arms and Hades was keeping a respectful distance. In all honesty, if this had been any other god, especially Zeus, her time here would have a vastly different outcome.

"I find it hard to believe that you and Zeus are kin. You are so different from him," Persephone called out to the man behind her. She heard the rustling of fabric as he was, hopefully, making himself decent. Persephone was ready to see that he was fully clothed. "He would not have been so considerate to a maiden who walked in on him bathing."

"That, I cannot agree with you on, Persephone," she heard him grumble from behind "If i were so different from him, then I would not have taken you against your will." Persephone dared to chance a peek over her shoulder and saw that he was thankfully clothed. He was rubbing a towel over his head and when he was done and tossed it the the side, his hair tumbled down, all a mess, and framed his face in such an endearing way that made him seem less like the god of the Underworld and just a regular, mortal man.

And a handsome one at that.

Somehow the sight of him with his messy hair made her think that seeing him undressed would have been more decent. She gaped at him for a moment before her brain could catch up with her mouth and form a coherent response.

"Still. I'm lucky. Some haven't been so lucky," Persephone managed to croak out. Her own mother was a testament to that harsh truth. Hades just shrugged his shoulders and ambled over to where Persephone still sat on the floor. He reached out his hand in an offer to help her stand.

Without skipping a beat, Persephone placed her hand on his palm. He closed his fingers over her hand and pulled her to her feet. Instead of becoming dizzy at his touch, Persephone's mind was elsewhere. That guilt which kept her from asking Annis about the god that led the spirits to the Underworld…

She could not let whatever strange friendship she had with Hades distract her from the one person who was suffering more than her; Demeter. Her mother had already suffered enough in her life and her daughter's disappearance only deepened her wounds. Though it pained her to go behind his back, Persephone had no other choice. But she wanted to warn him or give him one last opportunity to act, before she did.

"I need to go home," Persephone pleaded, hating to break the companionable spell between her and Hades. "My mother needs me."

Persephone dropped his hand and abruptly turned on her heel. She imagined the confused expression that would cross his features and how his somber brown eyes would sadden at the sight of her retreating figure. But she could not let her growing love for this world hold her back from returning home.

Friendship with her captor could not keep her from reuniting with Demeter.

Persephone marched down the empty corridors, just moments after leaving Hades behind. She could not erase the image of the pained way he was gazing down at her.

Why did he care so much about her? He brought her here.

"I am drawn to you…"

"That doesn't mean anything," Persephone grumbled. That did not mean that he cared about her. If he cared about her, then he would have never taken her in the first place. How could he care about her if he hand only spent a handful of moments with her? Why was this making her so cross?

Her room greeted her and Persephone saw that her doors were already opened a crack. Her heart dropped to her knees and every muscle in her body tensed uneasily. Was Minthe back to spread more of her poison? Confident and preparing for a fight, Persephone pushed aside her door and burst into her room.

"Persephone! I was wondering where you had run off to!" Annis greeted as she jumped from the bed and rushed over to Persephone. Once she saw that her guest was Annis and not the dreaded Minthe, Persephone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, I was just down in the springs," Persephone reassured Annis as she returned her friend's embrace. Annis squeezed her tightly and whispered into her ear.

"Please forgive me. Persephone, I'm so sorry that I just spilled your secrets like that. I was just trying to get her to shut up—"

"Annis, don't worry about it! I know that you didn't mean any harm by it," Persephone pulled away from her and hastily changed the subject. She was crossed her arms over her chest and tried to seem as nonchalant as possible.

"I actually—I actually have been meaning to ask you something."

* * *

Hermes.

His name was Hermes. Persephone went over every detail of what Annis had told her about the youthful god; once Persephone confessed that she had found the entrance and seen him, Annis was more than willing to ask her any questions that she had. From what Annis explained, Hermes was a messenger of the gods and it was he who had been given the honor of ushering the newly deceased spirits of mortals to the Underworld. Save for Hades, Hermes was the only immortal who had the ability to move freely between the Underworld and the world of the living.

Persephone flew down the familiar path that led her to the entrance of the Underworld. Cerberus trotted happily behind her and Persephone was glad to have his company. When she went through the ravine, Cerberus pounced from behind a craggy wall of stone and all three of his faces licked her face gleefully. Once she had stopped screaming and saw that it was just Cerberus, she quickly patted his heads and continued to rush to the entrance. She did not want to miss catching Hermes and Persephone did not want to missed back at the castle.

The willow tree that she had hid behind her first visit here still sat woefully by the flowing river. Persephone anxiously raced to the tree and peered up into the towering archway high on the mountain. The entrance was dark and gloomy, no sign of Hermes or the souls just yet. She sighed heavily and plopped down onto the ground, resting her back on the bark of the willow tree. Cerberus followed suit and fell down beside her. One of the outside heads settled into her lap while the other two rested on his crossed paws. Persephone stroked the beast's silky black fur but her hands shook with frayed nerves.

Cerberus fell into a lazy sleep, all three noses snoring, and Persephone continued to keep her gaze fixed on the mountain. Persephone took just a moment from her vigil to take a peek at the boat and its strange ancient ferryman had a name; Charon. Annis had told her that he would do anything for a few pieces of silver, but his purpose was to ferry the dead souls into their destination in the Underworld - just as long as they had payment.

Far above, the entrance remained lifeless. She huffed impatiently. How long would she have to wait, Persephone had no guess. It was morbid to think of, but didn't people pass away all the time? Surely, Hermes would have to make this visit quite often-

As if the god could read her mind, the entrance suddenly filled with a golden glow. Persephone gasped and jumped to her feet, forgetting about the sleeping beast in her lap. Cerberus snorted as he was startled awake and Persephone knelt down and kissed his noses.

"Sorry!" She hastily whispered to the beast and she leapt back to her feet, watching as a new flock of souls slowly ambled down the steps of the mountain. Persephone's heart soared when she saw that Hermes was in tow, drifting in the air by help of his winged sandals. She edged as close to the bank of the river as she could without actually jumping in. Cerberus stuck to her side and a low growl rumbled deep in his chest as all three pairs of eyes warily watched the souls while they climbed into the boat.

Once all souls gave payment to Charon, Hermes turned to drift back up the mountain; he did not even wait for them to start climbing in. Persephone's heart was leaping into her throat and for half of a second, her shout stuck inside of her mouth.

Why did she hesitate?

Hermes' back was to her and Charon was already drifting past her with his boat full of ghostly passengers. Cerberus trained his suspicious gaze on them as they went by. Persephone took in a deep breath and then managed to shout out to Hermes, hoping that he could hear her.

"Wait!"

Instantly, Hermes whipped his head over his shoulder and was searching for the owner of that shout. Persephone waved her arms like a madman to get his attention and Hermes quickly caught sight of her.

"Come over here," she shouted at him. Hermes did not move at first. He was looking at her like she was a lunatic. "I won't bite! This one might, but I won't!" Persephone pointed at Cerberus who was now baring his teeth at the god.

"Who - who are you?" Hermes called back from his side of the river.

"Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Zeus," she replied. Hermes' face lost his suspicious glare and his mouth fell open in shock and his eyes widened. He turned fully around and started to fly over the river to her.

"Are you serious?" He asked in disbelief. Hermes glided over bank and gracefully landed on his feet on the ground. He was standing in front of her, both shielded from view by the long tendrils of the willow branches and for that, Persephone was glad. She had wanted to meet him under the privacy of this tree and away from any watchful eyes. Now that he was so close to her, Persephone had a chance to study him; he could not have been much older than she was. He had a youthful appearance and a clean-shaven face. Golden curls framed his lean, long face and he stared with shock and awe at her with sapphire irises. Persephone was so used to seeing the strong, bold face of Hades, so it was mesmerizing for her to see a man with such a stark contrast. This Hermes was angelic with his glowing hair and bright eyes and gentler features. As Persephone studied him, Cerberus lunged past her and all mouths, full of sharp teeth, were ferociously snapping at him. Hermes darted into the air, tangling himself into the branches of the tree and cursing fearfully at the beast.

Persephone wrapped her arms around Cerberus' neck and yanked him away from Hermes. "Stop it!" Her order fell on wilfully deaf ears. "Cerberus! Stop! He's a friend!"

Hermes pulled himself from the willow's tendrils and sat on a branch, safely above the snarling and snapping dog.

"Is this thing yours?" He pointed down at Cerberus with a scowl on his face.

"No, he's not. He just likes me," Persephone struggled to keep Cerberus from jumping up and biting off Hermes toes.

Finally, Cerberus calmed down enough to where Persephone was able to make him go sit by the trunk. The beast sat at attention and glowered at the offending god perched in the branches.

"Alright then! Where were we?" Persephone breathed, her lungs empty of air from trying to get Cerberus to behave.

"I was just asking you if you were really Persephone," Hermes muttered with amusement. He had quite enjoyed the show of watching a tiny little goddess of spring wrangle a dreaded beast from hell.

"Right!" Persephone looked up at Hermes. It made her want to laugh, seeing him perched in the tree like some strange bird. "And from your reaction, I'm guessing that everyone knows about me and about what happened…"

"Of course we do! Demeter is tearing the world apart trying to find you!" Hermes exclaimed with excitement. "But I don't think that she'll be thrilled to know that you're here. Helios was right! Oh, and she did not want to believe him," Hermes shook his head, golden curls falling all over his face.

"Who was right?" Persephone had no clue who Helios was and why he was so certain that he was right about what had happened.

"Helios? The god of the sun?" Hermes offered, but Persephone just shrugged. She had never heard of seemed confused at her ignorance but he continued on without missing a beat. "He saw Hades kidnap you and take you down into the Underworld. Nobody believed him; Hades has isolated himself from the rest of us for years, so we didn't think that he would do something like this to bring attention to himself like this but -" Hermes suddenly stopped himself mid-sentence and his skin reddened.

"Oh. I shouldn't go on like this." He gave one glance down at Cerberus and carefully fluttered down from the branch. He stopped just in front of Persephone and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm just so relieved that you're found. Demeter is a terror right now. We all just want things to go back to how they were," Hermes explained. He leaned closer to Persephone with his expression heavy with concern. "Are you...are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Persephone nodded in assurance. "Will you please tell my mother that I'm fine?"

"You're fine? Are you sure?" Hermes firmly repeated his question.

"Yes! I'm fine! I haven't been harmed in any way." Persephone could not blame him for being skeptical; Hades was not well-liked on the surface. "Now, what is my mother doing? Wait. Does everyone know about me?"

"We've all been suspicious of you for years. Those Nymphs of yours that live wherever it is that you live, they all have loose lips.," Hermes grinned and placed his hand on the back of his head. "I for one believed that you were real!" He proudly beamed.

"I am just thrilled to hear that!" Persephone quipped. "How does it feel to actually see Persephone, the legend, in the flesh?" Persephone gave a silly twirl and Hermes laughed. She rather liked this energetic god; he brought out a playfulness in her that she wanted to match with his own.

"It might feel a bit more thrilling if you weren't stuck here in the Underworld," Hermes finished, his tone growing serious. Persephone's stomach dropped and she exhaled an uneasy breath. This was her chance!

"Maybe you can help me with that?"

"How? I can only bring people to the Underworld, not bring them back out.I mean, I would love to help but I wouldn't know where to start."

"Tell Demeter where I am. Tell her that I am safe. Tell her that I have been treated well and that Hades has not touched me or harmed me. And then, convince her to meet with Zeus. I think that you might have an idea of why she has avoided him for all these years, but tell her that the only chance of getting me home is to appeal to Zeus." Persephone grabbed Hermes' hands in hers and she peered up into his face. His sapphire irises were unsure, hesitant, but she could not give up. "Can you do this for me?" She implored. Hermes glanced down at his hands in hers and Persephone saw him shake his head. A smile played at the corner of his lips.

"I can," he answered, pulling his gaze away from his hands and meeting Persephone's eye. "I will help you."

"I would be forever grateful," Persephone dropped Hermes' hands and threw her arms around his neck in an embrace. Excitement flooded through her. She had not felt this much hope for returning home since she got here. Hermes wrapped his arms around her waist and he returned her hug.

"This was the very last thing that I expected to have happen to me," Hermes laughed as Persephone pulled away from him.

"I'm glad that I could make this morbid task of yours a tad more lively," Persephone joked. Her spirits were soaring. It was an enormous relief for her to be able to tell her mother that she was safe and, somewhat, sound. Persephone knew that this was weighing on her, but she did not realize how heavily this burden sat on her heart.

"That you have!" Hermes quipped. "I'll meet you here again when I've done meeting with Demeter."

"How will I know when you're back?" Hermes thought for a moment before leaning down and plucking one of the tiny feathers from the straps of his sandals.

"This." Hermes offered the feather to Persephone. She took it from him and twirled it in her fingers, inspecting the way the golden feather caught the gloomy light. Hermes watched her as she tucked the feather safely behind her ear, pushing her hair over both to hide it.

"It will glow when I am passing through the entrance," he continued to explain. "When you see it light up, come and find me. I'll be waiting under this tree." He tugged playfully on the nearest tendril, grin on his face, and waited for Persephone to respond.

"Thank you for doing this. I know that you just met me and aren't my friend and you are putting yourself into a tense situation but...thank you." Persephone gushed to the god. It was true; she had accosted him when he was simply trying to do his job and then pushed him into helping a near stranger.

"Oh, it's nothing!" Hermes tried to brush off her gratitude, but Persephone noticed that his smile only deepened and he was blushing. She thought that only girls could blush! Hermes brought himself closer to her and to her surprise, he reached up and brushed away a few wild strands of hair out of her face.

"Honestly, you are hard to say no to," he murmured shyly ". I think that any man, mortal or immortal, would move mountains for you."

It was Persephone's turn to blush. Hermes did not approach her with the same intensity as Hades; it was certainly flirtatious but Persephone found it to be less...threatening, if that was the right word for it.

"I'm not asking you to move mountains; I'm just asking you to talk to my mother," she shied away from Hermes' hand and a sheepish giggle escaped her mouth. Hermes dropped his hand, undeterred by her nervousness and his spirited demeanor returned.

"To many, that is the same thing," Hermes places his hands on his hips and the wings on his sandals were frantically flapping, lifting the god into the air above Persephone. He held out his hand and waved cheerily down at the goddess.

"Take care, Persephone. I will be back as soon as I can!"


	8. Roses and Thorns

All of Olympus was thrown into an uproar.

The abduction of the goddess of Spring by the god the Underworld was the latest scandal that rippled through the realm of the immortals. Though at first, not a soul believed the first trickles of rumors that reached their ears. Helios, the god of the sun, claimed to have seen Hades snatch a young goddess and pull her beneath the crumbling earth, but he could not say who the goddess was and they all laughed his story off as. A day went by and the rumor was nearly already forgotten until Demeter began to tear through the earth in a wild search for a daughter. This child had once only been a whispered conspiracy and until Demeter herself confirmed this goddess' existence, only then did the immortals begin to wonder if what Helios claimed was true.

Another week passed without incident until Hermes returned from his latest sojourn to the Underworld, and he came back with news that shattered the fragile barrier holding back the waves of gossip; Persephone had indeed been kidnapped by Hades and forced to reside with him in the Underworld. Hermes claimed that Persephone did not seem to be in distress or in danger. In fact, Hermes tried to tell everyone that she even assured him that Hades had not touched nor harmed her in any way. Demeter would not be swayed when she heard this. She did not believe for a second that her daughter's abductor could be so considerate. Her frantic search for Persephone came to a screeching halt and, to the surprise of them all, the goddess demanded an audience with Zeus.

Those who were aware of the traumatic tale of Zeus and Demeter were eager to attend this meeting, now that it was true that Demeter did indeed have a child by Zeus. The melodrama that was to unfold was sure to be satisfying. Not a single one of them wanted to miss this meeting. Not a single one of them considered just how excruciating this whole matter would be for Demeter, save for one young, golden-haired god with winged sandals. Hermes was sitting in the sea of gossipers around him, not saying a word and staring anxiously at the door to the throne room.

Gods and goddesses from all over were now gathered in the ornate throne room. It was a round room, seated on the highest point of Mount Olympus. There were no walls to speak of, but rather there were thick, massive white marble pillars that held up the domed ceiling, on which an intricate mural of the immortals had been painted. The floor was sunken into the foundation of the mountain with two tiers of seats that curved around the room, carved straight from the onyx mountain stone. There was a single throne at the opposite end of the room, formed from the same white marble as the pillars and flanked by two pillars with a background of blue sky and jagged mountain.

That brilliant cerulean sky dotted with perfectly puffy white clouds beamed down through the open walls onto the crowd of whispering immortals that sat on the carved seats. There was a sense of anticipation that hung heavily in the air. Zeus sat on his throne, entirely unamused by the excitement of the immortals surrounding him. In fact, to an outsider looking in, he might even appear to be bored out of his mind. He was slouched in the seat and resting his bearded chin on his closed fist with his eyes lazily scanning the room.

Then there was the sound of doors of the entrance to the throne room being thrown open. A hush descended over the gods and goddesses as a woman marched boldly inside. Zeus straightened up and fixed the newcomer with a steely azure gaze.

A mane of soft honey brown hair flowed behind her as she swiftly made her way straight up to the foot of his throne. Demeter did not shy away from him and glared at the god of gods with her hazel eyes burning. Her jaw was set into a firm line and the creases on her cheeks spoke of a mouth that was constantly set into the same hard expression. Though she was an immortal being, there were tell-tale signs of age from the crow's feet at the corner of her eyes and the silver shimmers that were woven into her hair. The immortals all knew that these outward signs of wear were just reflections of the broken spirit hidden inside;

And the one who had broken her spirit was now staring down at her with disinterest while she stared at him with hatred.

"Demeter. It has been many years since we have met," Zeus greeted dully. A lock of his pure white hair fell over his shoulder as he leaned forward in his throne to get a decent look at the goddess who he had not seen in ages.

"And I fully intended to keep things as such, but there are circumstances far beyond my control that I am forced to seek your assistance with," Demeter replied in a voice as sharp as a blade. She took a confident step closer to the throne, clenching her fists until her knuckles were white and shaking.

"Our eldest brother has taken my daughter into his realm. The Underworld is unreachable to me. I am unable to save her. You must demand that Hades return Persephone at once. You may not be acting for my sake, but please consider doing this for her. There is no love lost between you and I, but surely there is something in your stone heart that will take pity on a goddess who is in fact your daughter." Demeter was imploring now with her hands pressed over her heart. Though it was clear that she was trying to be strong, the hardness in her tone had lessened and the pitiful waver in her voice was ringing throughout the silent room like a bell.

"Who are you to be making demands to me?" Zeus questioned darkly as he stroked his white beard. Demeter clenched her jaw even tighter until every muscle in her face was visibly tensed.

"It is no secret that my respect for you is nonexistent," she hissed through her tightly pressed lips. "Perhaps you believe that I should have come here with a contrite heart and submissive countenance, pretending to hold you in high regard so that you would take more kindly to my request. I will not hide my feelings to spare you yours. You have destroyed me far beyond what my hatred will make you feel. But I am asking once again to not consider me. Consider your daughter. Do this for the child that you forced upon me!" Demeter's careful facade began to crack as those last words escaped her in a harsh, strangled shout. A murmur swept over the crowd and Zeus held up a hand, warning them into silence once more.

"I did not do that wittingly. And you did not bother to even let the world know of her existence until now." Zeus was leaning his elbows heavily onto his knees, engaged in the conversation and no longer seeming bored. Now the god's mood had shifted. He did not care to be challenged. There was a vein that had popped out in his temple and his skin reddened. He narrowed his eyes, blue as the skies over Olympus, at Demeter. "Why should I spare her any love or kindness?"

Demeter flinched as if Zeus had struck her across the cheek. Her hands were still pressed into her chest and slowly, her fingers curled, clutching into the skin until there were red marks.

"Would it be so hard for you to just do this one simple thing?" Demeter finally managed to spit out. "I have watched you waste your valuable time as god doing countless petty, stupid, pointless acts. Would doing actual delegating and ruling cut into your time of raping and pillaging and sitting around on your throne?"

This time the murmur of the crowd erupted into a cacophony of gasps and unabashed exclamations. There were even some that jeered or laughed. The tension of the room was broken as the immortals broke out into hushed and excited conversation. Demeter's glare never left Zeus' face, standing stoic as a statue as the chaos around her endured. Zeus allowed it for a moment before he rose to his feet. Once the god moved, the immortals hushed themselves but the atmosphere still buzzed as they waited for his response.

"Demeter. You speak far too boldly for one who has such a difficult request," Zeus glowered down at Demeter as he descended his throne and closed the gap of space between them. "Hades' realm in the Underworld is quite nearly out of my reach, almost to the point where I question how much authority over him that I truly have." He was now towering over Demeter. The goddess crossed her arms protectively over her chest and her skin was deathly pale at his nearness, but Demeter did not falter. She stuck out her chin defiantly and even stood on her toes to stick her face even closer to his, forcing herself to be in his presence even though she detested him.

"Unbelievable," Demeter shook her head in disbelief. "I find it impossible that a power-hungry being such as yourself, going so far as to trick your elder brother into ruling the realm of the dead so that you could be the god of gods, would ever concede any scrap of authority for any reason. I know that you loathe the Underworld. You refuse to act because that would mean speaking to Hades. It would mean possibly going down to the Underworld yourself."

"It would mean that I would disrupt the delicate balance of power that Hades has established in his world," Zeus thundered over the increasing mutters of the crowd. He pointed a reprimanding finger right in front of Demeter's nose and waved it around like a weapon. "Do you understand how complex and how layered and how faceted of a realm that Hades created for himself? I do not lie when I say that I left him completely to his own devices and he has put so much of himself into his realm that I fully believe that he has more control and authority in the Underworld than I do! To undermine him would mean to undermine the entire structure of the Underworld and I cannot do that. I refuse! To upset his balance would mean upsetting my own. Unless Hades decides to break his own rules to allow her to return, You must accept the fact that your daughter is now a resident of the Underworld."

They were nose to nose now. Demeter's skin was still as white as a ghost and it was visible to every eye trained on the pair, that she was shaking. And when the next sentence tumbled from her lips, the crowd collectively sucked in the air of the room and held their breath waiting for Zeus to act.

"I want to speak to you alone." Demeter demanded in a hushed voice. Zeus blinked quickly a few times, just as surprised as the rest of them that she would dare allow herself to be alone with him.

"Fine then," Zeus relented. He glanced up at the waiting gods and goddesses and waved his hand dismissively. "Everyone, leave us now."

Not a single god or goddess wasted a second to linger. They filed out of the room, their whisperings lingering in the air behind them. Zeus and Demeter did not watch them leave. Instead they were trained on one another, waiting for the room to empty. Once they were alone in the throne room, Demeter's entire demeanor seemed to collapse. She sighed with the heaviness of one that carried the weight of the world on her shoulders, emptying her lungs of breath. Her head hung down limply and her eyes were squeezed shut. Zeus also sighed, but his did not carry the same weight as Demeter's; his was thick with irritance.

"What do you have to say to me?" He demanded, but the hardness in his words had vanished and he instead sounded weary. Demeter did not speak at first. She opened her eyes and for a moment, stared down at the stone floor.

"Persephone has the same color hair as you," Demeter whispered to the marble floor. Zeus stiffened when he heard the comparison with his daughter. The goddess tore herself away from the glossy tiles and tilted her head up to Zeus.

"The same sort of ash blonde that you had from before you became the ruler of the gods and it turned white. And her smile is just like yours. Sometimes it startles me when I see her smile. It is the only time when I see your features in her, instead of my own. That is not the only way she reminds me of you; her spirit isn't peaceful and soft like mine. She is full of adventure and fire. As much as I have tried to stamp those traits out and erase any trace of you from her, I cannot. For her entire life, I have tried to mold her into the exact same image as me, but she is too much of her father's child for that." Her hazel irises swam with tears, but as she continued to speak of her daughter, that worn and weary mask she wore faded away and was replaced with the face of a bygone Demeter from days that were carefree and lively and full of love.

Zeus had tried to keep his expression stony and unreadable, but he faltered; he ran his fingers through curly white hair. "Why are you telling me this?" He groaned in exasperation. Hearing about this long-lost daughter bothered him, but the truth of why it bothered him was known only to Zeus. Demeter saw this in Zeus and she would not give up. Whatever it was that Zeus was feeling for this daughter, she would push his sympathy on the chance that it even existed, for as far as she could.

"I am telling you this to make you try and care for something in this world other than yourself," Demeter implored to the god. He grimaced painfully and would not meet Demeter's eye.

"I have other children. Other daughters," he grumbled dismissively. "What makes this one so special?"

"Shouldn't all your children be considered special?" Demeter argued, knowing that Zeus did not give much consideration to his offspring, but she had to try. She had to do whatever she could to make him take action. For a long while, Zeus remain silent and stoic, but his azure irises betrayed a struggle inside the confines of his mind. Demeter was hopeful that something she said had gotten through to him. After an eternity, Zeus finally spoke.

"I am growing weary of this topic," he sighed, defeated yet undoubtedly stern. "Leave me now and do not appeal to me again. The answer is no. My hands are tied, Demeter. There will be no more argument." He crossed his arms definitively over his chest and waited for her to either concede or to argue. Demeter did not appear to be surprised that he denied her. Her disappointment was masked by a ferocity in her gaze that was nearly maniacal. She narrowed her eyes at the offending god standing in front of her and left him with one last parting sentence.

"If your hands are tied, then I must find a way to break them free," Demeter warned in a voice thick with tears and venom. She whirled around and stormed out of the empty room, leaving a stunned silent god in her wake. The doors to the throne room were pushed open and Demeter marched out into the entryway. Waiting for her was Hermes, his body filled to the brim with nerves, so much that he could not stay on the ground. He fluttered over the marble floors and was wringing his hands as Demeter approached him.

"Hermes, go back to the Underworld as soon as possible," Demeter snapped. "I have a message for Persephone. Tell her that she is coming home. By any means necessary."

 **Persephone**

It was vexing, just how much Persephone was finding the Underworld to feel like home the more that time passed. The Nymphs had grown restless and decided that they needed to put on a festival of sorts. There was wine and food and games and music. The Nymphs set up their party in the small meadow that separated Hades' castle and the pine woods. How strange it was for Persephone to see the Underworld filled with such liveliness, and she was reminded so much of the parties that the Nymphs of her home would throw for no reason other than boredom and the need for fun. Quite a few residents of the Underworld, that Persephone had yet to meet, were in attendance. Many of them were engaged in a game with the Nymphs, running around the meadow with their senses soaked in wine and their laughter filling the normally forlorn air.

As much as she loved good, friendly competition, Persephone found herself in no mood to participate in the game. She was seated on the ground with her back against the solid bark of one of the pine trees at the edge of the forest.

Nearly an entire week had drifted by achingly slowly since she met with Hermes beneath the willow tree on the banks of the river. Since then, Persephone had kept the feather from his sandals on her person at all times. She wove a braid into her long, straight hair and tucked the feather into her braid at the crown of her head, making seem as if it were just an ordinary decoration. Nobody asked about it. Nobody said a word. Even Annis just pointed out her braid and complimented her on the new style.

And so far, the feather had stayed dull and cold. Hermes had not come to the Underworld yet and Persephone was close to madness just waiting for him to return with any news of her mother. Every single nerve in her body was on edge, tensed up and putting her ill at ease. Annis had sensed this shift in her friend's mood and wanted to lift her spirits, believing that she was missing her home. That was true in a sense, but Persephone was dismayed to find that the burden of being apart from her mother eased day by day.

In her mind, it teetered on the edge of betrayal to her mother because Persephone was finding happiness here. Freedom, even. Persephone had more freedom in the last few weeks in the Underworld than she ever had living under Demeter's thumb at home. Persephone knew exactly why Demeter made the rules that she did, but it did not make it any easier to keep the resentment at bay. And as much as she wanted news from Hermes and as much as she did want to return home for the sake of her mother's sanity, Persephone dreaded how much Demeter's paranoia would increase once she was home with her. That promise of even more rules and restrictions is what sowed those nefarious seeds of doubt in Persephone's mind. Would it be so bad to stay here? Now that she had a taste of freedom, would she be able to go back to how things were before?

How ironic that her jail and jailor were giving her an idea of what it meant to live freely.

Still, the struggle of wanting to return and the pull to stay here weighed on her just as heavily as her desperation to hear news from Hermes. And the fact that Persephone was even considering the possibility of staying in the Underworld without feeling a sense of dread, left her heart in shambles.

From her spot beneath the pine tree, Persephone's eyes scanned the crowd of Nymphs and immortals and she spotted the god of the Underworld far across the meadow.

That god was not making it simple for her. If he had been cruel and wicked and forceful, then Persephone would without a doubt be desperate to leave him. But instead, he had been respectful and kind and gentle. Hades had turned out to be surprisingly good company when she was with him; there was an ease that Persephone felt when she was speaking with him and it did not help that his humor matched hers well and that he had a pleasant voice to listen to.

The moment that Persephone realized that she did not hate him and in fact, looked forward to meeting with him was when she spotted him perched on his black marble throne for the first time and actually strolled over to have a quick chat with him. Before then, however, Persephone had began to notice Hades did not make himself as scarce as he did when she first arrived. After their rather intimate meeting in the cavern where she stumbled in on his bath, Hades was more of a consistent presence at the castle. When she saw him sitting on his throne or ran into him in the gardens, her stomach would flutter like flock of helpless birds beating against the wind.

She wanted to scream each time that happened.

It did not help that the image of him in the bath with droplets of water running down his bare chest, steam rising off of his skin and his dark, handsome features smiling warmly at her, rudely popped into her thoughts at any given second. Persephone desperately pushed those unwelcome thoughts away when they came.

But they came far too often for her liking.

And she let her mind linger on him for far too long before she tried to push that bare chested image away. Persephone watched Hades as he chatted with a god that she did not know. As if he could sense her watching him, his eyes flickered over to her and she saw his lips turn up in a smile for a breath of a second before he went back to speaking with his guest. She despised the way her heart skipped several beats when he smiled at her and Persephone had to tear her gaze away from him.

"You stop it right now, you stupid little thing," Persephone hissed under her breath, chiding herself for reacting to him like this. Hades' secret smile brought on an onslaught of those forbidden memories of him. She was boring into the ground, studying every blade of grass with intensity as she tried to forget Hades. Persephone was so focused on trying to clean her mind of him that she did not notice the shadow that fell over her as somebody approached her spot.

"Who are you fussing at? You had better not be calling yourself a 'stupid little thing!'" An unfamiliar woman's voice from above Persephone chastised playfully. Grateful for the distraction, Persephone looked up from the grass and saw a woman standing in front of her. At first, Persephone was speechless. This woman was stunningly beautiful! She did not even appear to be real, but rather like a painting that had come to life. Everything about her features seemed to be a contrast of itself, painted with exaggeration: from her square jawline that was so sharp that it could be a weapon, to her aquiline nose and high cheekbones. Her long, wavy hair was darker than shadow and it was lovely but too startling against her pale, lily-white skin. A pair of gray eyes, the color of gathering storm clouds, gazed back down at her with mild interest.

"Hades has not brought you around to visit me," the goddess smiled at Persephone with a pair of delicate, slim lips the shade of a rose and invited herself to sit down beside her. She spoke in a soft voice, hushed to nearly a whisper, but Persephone found it oddly comforting; she sounded so much like a mother reading a bedtime story to her child.

"If it makes you feel any better, Hades hasn't made efforts to introduce me to many of the residents of the Underworld," Persephone replied with an effort to be lighthearted, shifting in her spot to face the goddess.

"Well I am one of his closest friends, so I find it rather hurtful that he didn't trouble with bringing you to meet me," she quipped, winking one of her stormy eyes. The goddess held out a small, pale hand to Persephone. "My name is Nyx. I am the goddess of the night."

"Nyx," Persephone repeated and grasped Nyx's outstretched hand. "I have actually heard of you. I grew up somewhat sheltered, so my knowledge of the other gods and goddesses is limited, but you are one that my mother has actually told me about."

"How interesting that she would speak of me," Nyx smiled and even though her hands were cool to the touch, she shook Persephone's hand with a friendly warmth and Persephone found herself at ease with this new goddess.

"My mother has always found the night to be soothing," Persephone explained, letting go of Nyx's hand. "It is when she is most relaxed and at ease. You would think that being the goddess of the harvest would connect her more to the sun and the daytime rather than the night."

At the mention of Demeter, Nyx's smile fell and she laid her cool hand on Persephone's shoulder.

"Persephone…" Nyx started in a somber voice. There was something about the pitying way she spoke that set Persephone on edge, but it was to be expected, given the circumstances. How strange that she was already becoming tired of sympathy for her situation. It was not so terrible…

"I know that I seemed eager to meet you. Hades has long confided in me about his secret visits to you, and I am happy to put a face to a name, but truly, I am sorry to hear of your troubles," Nyx empathized. She gave Persephone a sad smile and shook her head, dark strands of hair falling around her face. "Lord Hades is a dear friend to me, but I was appalled by his actions. I wish that you had entered into the Underworld under different circumstances and by your own will."

"I wish so too," Persephone sighed. "In all honesty, it hasn't been a nightmare like I believed that it would be," she confessed. Persephone glanced down at her braid, wondering if she should go ahead and speak her mind. The words that teetered on her lips felt odd to say, but she was compelled to just get it out in the open. Persephone glanced at Nyx, who was staring at her with a curious expression. "To tell you the truth, I've actually grown to enjoy this strange and beautiful realm."

"Is that so?" Nyx was smiling again and she took a moment to scoot closer to Persephone. "I find it unfair that the Underworld is portrayed as some dank and dark pit of despair. In some places, yes! But most of our home is as you say, strange and beautiful." She tilted her head thoughtfully to the side and hesitated for a second before she spoke. "What do you think about being bound here forever? Is that something you fear?"

"No," Persephone shook her head, trying to assure herself of her conviction more than she tried to assure Nyx. "I have hope that there will be a way for me to return home. I think that it's just a matter of convincing Hades that the world won't come to an end if he lets me leave."

But if she ever did leave, would she be able to return? Persephone did not see herself being able to flit between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead as Hermes could. Once she bid farewell to the Underworld, that would mean the end of her friendship with Annis, and Persephone was not so sure if she could say goodbye to the first true friend she had made.

"This realm is his home. It is an extension of his soul. He fiercely protects it and does not want any chaos to befall his world. It may take a great deal of convincing. Besides, it would be hard for him to let you leave, knowing that he will never be able to see you again."

Yes. There was also that. Hades. There was a funny way that her stomach ached when she remembered that he did all of this because he was drawn to her, whatever that was supposed to mean. Once she left, she would never see him again either. Where she was certain that leaving Annis would be painful, what did she feel about never seeing the god of the Underworld after she left him? Would she even take a moment to say goodbye to the one who had turned her life upside down?

Before Persephone had a chance to stammer out any sort of coherent reply, Annis came prancing up to where she and Nyx were sitting. She plopped down next to Persephone and leaved heavily against her shoulder.

"Hello Annis. Are you enjoying yourself?" A tell-tale blush from too much drink crept over Annis' olive skin. Her friend sat up, her face full sunshine and smiles and tossed her hair flirtatiously over her shoulder.

"I am!" Annis giggled drunkenly. "My special friend is here, but I won't tell you which one he is!" She teased in a singsong voice. At Persephone's other side, Nyx was scowling with disapproval at the Nymph's antics.

"Your secret isn't as secret as you think," the goddess mumbled darkly. "I know who he is."

"You do?!" Annis and Persephone both exclaimed at the same time.

"Of course. I catch you all the time when you're slinking off to see him." Nyx was nonchalant as she replied coolly, running her fingers through her shadowy hair. She cocked her head to the side and winked slyly at Persephone. Annis saw this and suddenly lunged over Persephone's lap and pleaded in slurred words to Nyx to shut up and keep quiet. Persephone in turn excitedly started spouting off a dozen questions, trying to get Nyx to spill the identity of this mysterious lover.

In the midst of the chaos, Persephone felt a warmth on her head and her hands flew up to where Hermes' feather was tucked into her braid. As quickly as she could, she covered her head with her fingers, trying to hide suspiciously glowing feather. Luckily for her, Annis was currently wrestling a loudly-protesting Nyx to the ground, so both of them were far too distracted to notice that anything was amiss. Persephone did not want to waste a second lingering here while Hermes waited for her under the willow tree. She heaved Annis' legs off of her and leapt to her feet. Without a word of farewell, Persephone marched hastily from the meadow and towards the castle; she wanted it to appear as if she were going to go there. Let them come up with their own reasons for why, all Persephone wanted was to for anyone watching her to think nothing of why she left the party.

But of course, her departure would not go unnoticed by a certain god. She should have known that if anyone were to notice, it would be Hades. She heard him run up behind her and Persephone wanted nothing more than to just pretend that he did not exist as he called out her name.

"Persephone? Where are you going?"

But Persephone was compelled by some unknown force to turn around and face him. This would be so simple, if only she loathed him. He stood over her, a half-smile on his lips and his deep brown eyes glimmering with too much drink and merriment.

How curious, that anyone could be merry in the land of the dead. Persephone would never have believed it if she had not seen it for herself.

"Oh, uhh…" Persephone shuffled her feet, hoping that the strong wine would dull his senses enough to where he would not read her hesitancy. "I just realized that I...need to go back to the castle. To my room. I left something there."

"I'll come with you," he offered happily.

"Oh! No! That's fine. I can manage on my own." Persephone reached out and patted Hades on his arm. At her touch, the god's half-smile grew to a full smirk and he gazed down at her with an expression that caused her heart to stop beating.

"Hurry back, then," he muttered with a bit more heat than he would have allowed if he were fully sober. Persephone gaped at him like a fool, for a moment overwhelmed by the feelings that were clouding her thoughts. But the feather in her hair pulled her back to the present and she just gave Hades a funny little wave of her hand.

"Will do!" She quipped, internally kicking herself for sounding like such a loon. Thank the gods and goddesses that Hades had enjoyed enough wine to truly notice or care!

Persephone turned on her heel and scampered off to the castle, leaving Hades behind. In her mind's eye, she pictured him standing there and watching her go. For some reason, the expression that she imagined on his face was one with a furrowed brow and that smile slowly turned down. Then her heart suddenly yearned to turn around and make sure that he wasn't watching her with that forlorn face. She paused for a second and began to turn her head to look over her shoulder. But just as soon as she started, Persephone forced herself to stop.

Why did it matter if Hades was sad to see her go? She should not be giving him a second thought. She was leaving to see Hermes who was bringing her news of her mother! Hades and his feelings should be the absolute last thing that troubled her. So Persephone turned back around and marched determinedly to the castle, telling herself that Hades did not matter.

But in her heart of hearts, Persephone was only lying to herself and she was forcing the truth to be buried.

For whatever insane reason, Hades was beginning to matter to her. And that truth alone was what made her hurry to meet Hermes. She had to get out of this place before it was too late. Persephone had to leave the Underworld before she decided that she loved it enough to call it home.

"So that's it then? Zeus refuses to help me?"

Persephone could not say that she was surprised that he refused to help, but what surprised her is how badly it stung that he did not bother to lift a finger for her sake. Even though he had only just been told about her, Persephone was still his daughter. Surely there was some sort of parental instinct that would drive one to help their offspring?

She tried to mask her disappointment with anger, but the pain of Zeus' rejection was too strong to hide. Persephone cursed herself for her vulnerability as tears pricked at her eyes. Perhaps she was more upset by the fact that her mother, who had fought so hard and faced her worst nightmare to help her, was callously denied help or pity.

A cool breeze found its way beneath the willow tree's branches where Persephone and Hermes were hidden. Cerberus was planted at her side and Persephone was absent-mindedly scratching one of his heads. The remaining two were trained on Hermes with suspicious glares, but they did not try to snap at him this time. Hermes watched Persephone, waiting for her emotion to pass. He did not dare to come over and comfort Persephone, lest he wanted three snapping jaws of teeth to contend with.

"I wasn't happy to tell you this," Hermes was apologetic, nervously rubbing the back of his neck and keeping a wary eye on Cerberus. "And I'm not happy to tell you that your mother did believe me when I tried to tell her that you were not harmed."

"This won't end well," Persephone warned grimly. Her mother's promise to get her home no matter what, frightened her. Demeter held an incredible amount of power and her duties as the goddess of the Harvest were vital for the survival of humanity. But Demeter loved her daughter far more than she loved the mortals, and it made Persephone shudder to think of what she might do to get her message across to Zeus.

"What do we do now?" Hermes asked seriously. Persephone raked her fingers through the ends of her hair and shrugged.

"All that I can say now is to try to tell tell her to stay calm and to not do anything extreme. Far too many have suffered for Zeus' actions; the mortals do not need to suffer because of her. They do not need to be needlessly caught up in the immortals' bickering." Persephone wanted to convey to Hermes just how important that it was to her for her mother to remain calm.

"I'll try," Hermes assured. Persephone could not find the words to express just how grateful she was that he was doing all of this for her, a perfect stranger. He seemed to be such a bright, carefree soul, with his golden hair and winged sandals. Persephone blinked back a sudden wave of tears and she wrapped her arms around Hermes.

"You have no idea how much this means to me," she whispered into his curls. Hermes hugged her waist despite Cerberus' growls.

"Of course," he whispered back."I will do anything that I can to get you back to your mother." Persephone's stomach jolted with guilt from her own doubts about returning, but she pushed those thoughts down for now. They let each other go and Hermes lifted into the air.

"I have to rush back," he called down to Persephone. "But I'll try to get back soon. And maybe I'll have better news for you!"

"That would be nice!" Persephone followed him as he flew out from beneath the protective branches of the willow tree and stopped when he flew over the river where she could not follow. The god followed the path up the mountain and was swallowed by the golden light of the archway, signifying that he passed into the land of the living.

Persephone truly did want to follow him through that arch. She was desperate to soothe her mother's troubles and assure her that, despite it all, she was well and unharmed. But that would not happen. And once she crossed the threshold of the archway and stepped into the world beyond, she feared that there was no turning back. The Underworld would possibly be lost to her.

What an impossible dilemma.

For a moment, Persephone lingered on the banks of the river. Charon and his boat floated on top of the smoothly flowing water. Hermes had not come to the Underworld to deliver souls of the dead, so the ferryman stayed in his place, apathetic to Hermes' unexplained presence. He did not glance her way or pay her any mind while Persephone studied him for a moment more before climbing up the bank and to the path that was now familiar to her.

Her thoughts were scattered as she ambled down the path, flitting from one topic to the next; from Hades to Demeter and surprisingly, to Zeus. She walked past the eerie elm tree. What was one of her false dreams, Persephone absently mused. There was that lifelong, painful wish that her father was not the selfish and cruel Zeus, but rather the kind mortal man that had once loved her mother. Part of the reason why Persephone dreaded the consequences of her mother using the mortals to exact her revenge on Zeus, was because of how much humanity had all suffered because of their actions; not just the actions of Zeus, but from nearly every immortal in existence. Was there no end to this cycle of the gods and goddesses abusing their power against those who worshipped them?

The elm tree was long behind her as she continued on the path back to the castle, but Persephone's mind stayed trapped inside the spell of the tree. She pondered all of her wishes and dreams and hopes that were doomed to remain unfulfilled.

Yet, Persephone was not so deep in her dreams that she was able to ignore the strange sensation of being watched. The back of Persephone's neck tingled uncomfortably as though someone or something had been watching her from the shadows of the landscape beyond the path. At first, she wanted to believe that it was some resident of the Underworld that she had not met yet, curious at her presence. But as that feeling persisted, Persephone suspected that whoever was watching her was more than merely curious.

She was being stalked.

Minthe was the most obvious suspect. She had been noticeably absent from the party and the Nymphs were always whispering that Minthe had not been seen by hardly anyone since Persephone's arrival. The rumor that she was the god, Rhadamanthus' latest lover circulated again and again, but nobody had any proof other than seeing her hanging around the marble gates of the Elysian Fields.

Her breath hitched in her throat, but Persephone steadied her outward appearance. She refused to let Minthe see her weak. Persephone was carefully picking her way through the ruins of the palace with the pristine wooden doors. She veered off the path and rounded a corner, finding herself in an overgrown courtyard filled with thistles and thorns.

This strange place already set her ill at ease, but it did not calm her frayed nerves that she had an unwelcome companion. All around her, the Underworld was perfectly still. Perfectly silent. Minthe followed her without so much as a peep, but Persephone was certain that she was there. Eyes bored into the back of her skull and then the silence was broken by the distinct sound of a stone clattering on the ground. The small noise echoed throughout the ruins, giving away Minthe's hiding place right behind Persephone, who flushed with a sudden surge of anger. How dare Minthe still attempt to torment her!

"I thought that you were told to leave me alone!" Persephone shouted. She whirled around and expected to see Minthe standing right behind her with that smirking grin and fiery hair, pleased at being caught. But not a soul was behind her. There was only the wind that blew a few wayward pebbles over the ancient cobblestones. Persephone waited for a minute or two, watching for any movement behind the crumbling pillars that made the entrance to the courtyard. The emptiness weighed all around her. The minutes ticked on and Minthe did not pop out from any hiding spot. Had Persephone been wrong? No, there was absolutely somebody following her. She did not imagine it.

"Minthe?" Persephone called out to the ruins. "Are you there? Is that you following me?"

She did not want Minthe to come out and happily greet her with a "yes, of course, I'm here," but Persephone had to find out for sure if she wasn't alone. If it wasn't Minthe following her, then who, or what?

The answer to that question came not from in front of her, but with hands grabbing her arms from behind. Her back was pulled into a firm chest and a voice as smooth as velvet whispered into her ear.

"No, lovely girl. I'm the one following you."

That was not Minthe.

The voice belonged to a man, but it wasn't Hades' rich, resonating timbre. Persephone froze in fear, unable to make a sound as her words were stuck in her throat. Sensing her unease, the man spoke again.

"You have no need to be frightened of me," the voice crooned. "I mean you no harm. I'll even let you get a good look at me. Then you'll see that I'm not a monster out to get you." The hands holding her arms eased their grip. Slowly, she turned to face the owner of that voice. Once she saw who was behind her, Persephone could not blame herself for the gasp that crossed her lips.

She knew him. This was the man that she had seen at the marble gates with Hades! Back then, she had only seen him from afar, but now that he was mere inches away from her, she could see that he was perhaps the most beautiful man that Persephone had yet to lay eyes on. And he was the most unusual, with his ethereal features.

A pair of eyes, the palest shade of blue, greeted her. Persephone was taken aback at how vibrant these cold eyes were, like ice glimmering under the sun. Long hair the color of silver fell around his long, thin face. His features were strikingly elegant; thin nose, high cheekbones, and thin lips that curled into a knowing smile.

For an embarrassing moment, Persephone could not peel her eyes away from him. He in turn held her gaze, never letting his pale irises leave her face. His aura was unrelenting; it snared her and pulled her in, refusing to be ignored and even reveling in her unabashed staring. As the moments crawled by, one of the corners of those thin lips turned up into a smirk. He cocked his head to the side and closed his eyes until they were merely blue, glimmering slivers.

"See? I'm not a beast, am I?" The man's question was almost teasing her. "You're still afraid though. Why is that, I wonder?"

"I'm—I'm not afraid. You just startled me. That's all it is." Persephone argued weakly.

"Yet you're still trembling." He whispered with words flowing like water from a spring. His slim fingers found her cheeks and for the briefest of moments, he rested his fingertips softly on her skin. Persephone did not push his hand off. Instead she froze in place, losing her sensibility in that icy gaze and feeling his cool skin grazing hers.

The spell that was cast lasted only for a moment. Persephone slowly inhaled a gulp of air and she turned her face from the man's touch.

"Rhadamanthus. You're Rhadamanthus aren't you?"

"Indeed I am," he laughed. "You already know of me?"

"The Nymphs speak of you," Persephone said. The pomp in this man's demeanor visibly deflated once she told him that. His shoulders sagged and those stunning irises that had not left her face for a moment, blinked and shifted to somewhere over her shoulder.

"Not kindly, I'm sure," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "I hate that your first impression of me came by exaggerated tales of gossiping Nymphs."

He made a move that made Persephone think that he was taking a step towards her, but instead, Rhadamanthus brushed past her and marched further into the courtyard. "Oh, it's such a shame that Lord Hades hasn't bothered to introduce you to me himself, though I suspect that he's keeping you hidden from me for a reason."

"And what reason would that be?" Persephone asked, curious despite the sneaking feeling that she was being baited into an uncomfortable conversation. This Rhadamanthus was compelling. She found herself in his wake, following the waterfall of silver hair. Rhadamanthus stopped just in front of an ancient, crumbling archway that served as an exit for the courtyard, flanked by an equally ancient, crumbling stone wall. He jumped up and sat on the top of the wall, leaning his back against the pillar, facing away from Persephone. She stopped in her tracks beside him, watching how one leg dangled over the side and one leg was pulled up near his chest, making a triangle. His cool and carefree attitude irked her.

"Well? Why does Hades want to keep you away from me?" Persephone reiterated her question. The smile that ghosted over his lips did not go unnoticed. Why was he going to such great lengths to irritate her?

"He doesn't want to share," Rhadamanthus said wistfully, gazing at the gloom of the Underworld with the most forlorn countenance she had ever seen. Persephone fought the urge to roll her eyes and just leave him be.

"And how could I blame him for wanting to keep you all to himself?" Rhadamanthus spoke up before Persephone mustered the courage to walk away. He turned from his dramatic vigil of the scenery back to Persephone, now smiling with that same velvety smile from before. "Now that I'm seeing you on the flesh, I can understand why Lord Hades is smitten with you."

"Smitten with me? That's absurd! He's not smitten! Hades is—well, I'd call it more that he's..." Persephone searched for any sort of reason, any at all, other than what Rhadamanthus was suggesting and what she feared to be true. "...it's that Hades lusts after me, and nothing more."

Rhadamanthus' quiet laughter filled the heavy air of the ruins, echoing over the stones and decaying structures. He shook his head, the dim light catching the strands of his hair, and glanced up at the blushing Persephone.

She was not amused.

"I think that it is high time for me to take my leave of you," She said with a bite. Persephone readied herself to turn on her heel and march away, but the sound of Rhadamanthus' cool voice snared her once more and Persephone could not will herself tear herself from his spell.

"Forgive me for laughing, but Lord Hades' heart for you runs much deeper than that of banal desire, silly girl." His smile cooled and his features settled into a contemplative gaze. Those icy eyes heated. "I would go so far as to say that he might even love you. What man wouldn't? I myself would want to snatch you up and make you mine." Persephone was just close enough for him to reach out and take a few strands of her hair in his fingers.

"But you deserve better than than coerced love, don't you? You deserve for a man to woo you and to choose for yourself if you want to be with him." Her locks fell through his grasp when he lowered his hand and he watched her intently, studying her features with an intensity that reminded Persephone of the way Hades would gaze at her.

Her muscles could not seem to find the strength to move. She stood in place, not able to speak or turn around or slap him or hardly even breathe.

Rhadamanthus was not wrong. Persephone had suspected from the absolute beginning of her journey into the Underworld, that Hades did care for her beyond a tool to use for his own desires. What she was so desperate to deny was how deeply he did seem to care for her; how could anyone who loved another, kidnap them and keep them prisoner against their will? That was not love. Love was selfless. Yet, Hades had not forced her to be with him and even respected her wishes. What was she to think of that?

This contradiction was something that she wrestled with; Hades' unfortunate show of selfishness that played alongside his undeniable kindness. What was his true nature? Could she forgive him of his mistakes by his genuine concern for her, or was it just a show to lower her guard and then bed her? Persephone wanted to deny Hades' unspoken love for her simply because she could not fathom that anyone could love her and then do what Hades did. She refused to accept it.

It would only be coerced love, just as Rhadamanthus said. It would be silly for her if she were to ever reciprocate those feelings. Then Hades would get exactly what he wanted and then he would have no repercussions for his actions. The sudden rush of bitterness towards Hades was what finally unleashed her tense muscles and she released a heavy breath from her chest. Rhadamanthus said nothing during the whole time. His head was leaning against the pillar and he watched her patiently. Persephone suddenly felt weak from all the rushing emotions in her head and she sat down on the wall, just beside Rhadamanthus' feet. He watched her movements, never letting her leave his sight and he remained silent with nothing but a wolfish smile on his lips.

She wanted to move past all talk of Hades and his feelings. It was growing weary.

"If Hades doesn't want me to be around you, then perhaps he is justified in his reasons. You were the one stalking me like a animal after it's next meal." Persephone said with an accusing tone. Rhadamanthus shrugged his shoulders with all the nonchalance in the Underworld.

"It was simply a chance encounter. You left the castle as I was arriving and when I saw you wandering off on your own, that's when I decided that I wanted to meet you, without our friend, the good Lord Hades, hovering nervously around me like a mother hen. When I watched you go beyond the castle boundaries, well, that's when you looked like you were up to something. Naturally, I had to see what had stolen your attention and why you wanted to be so secretive."

Rhadamanthus explained away his actions so innocently, though Persephone hardly believed that this man was capable of any innocence

"Interesting, isn't it, that you just so happened to catch me alone and decided to follow me around instead of coming out of your hiding spot and just saying hello." Persephone said, crossing her arms defensively, thinking that she had put this arrogant god in his place. He merely chuckled, unruffled at her words. The way his eyes sparked with mischief did not set her at ease.

"Interesting, isn't it, that you're having secret meetings with the one and only being besides Lord Hades himself, that can enter and exit the Underworld by his own will." Rhadamanthus cocked his head to the side and bored into her with that sly grin of his. Persephone felt the blood rush from her face and her stomach dropped. To deny her actions now would be of no use. Rhadamanthus had seen and he was far too clever to trick. It would be best for her now to just admit it and throw herself on his mercy.

"I would be foolish not to take any chance I had at leaving. Or at least any chance of communicating with my mother. Can't you understand why I'm doing this?" Persephone snapped hotly. She turned from Rhadamanthus' smirking face and stared pointedly at the ground.

"Without a doubt, I can understand. Why the need to hide it from your captor?" She heard Rhadamanthus ask, his voice sounding a bit closer than before.

"I think it's ridiculous you even question my reason to hide my meetings with Hermes. Of course I don't want Hades to know because what if he decides to keep me prisoner in his home? What if he banishes Hermes? Hades has been far more generous than I could have ever dreamed and I would not risk him having a change of heart. You seem to be clever enough to have figured all that out without you asking." Persephone muttered at the cobblestones. She felt Rhadamanthus shift beside her and Persephone couldn't help but glance over at him. He was no longer leaning against the pillar, but had planted his elbow on his raised knee and resting his chin on curled fingers. His nearness was unsettling, making her head swim and her heart flutter.

"You have quite the bold tongue. Your sweet, innocent face had me believing you to be a shrinking violet. I see now that I was deceived," Rhadamanthus said, leaning ever closer to her. He locked eyes with hers, the heat of his gaze burning straight into her soul. "And I am pleased to be fooled."

"You are talking nonsense" Persephone brushed off Rhadamanthus as quickly as she could, trying not to let herself be drawn into his unrelenting gaze. As much as she wanted to explore those pale blue depths, the warnings and words of the Nymphs about this god kept Persephone firmly anchored. "Just promise me that you won't speak of this to Hades?"

"What makes you think that I will just instantly swear silence?" Rhadamanthus challenged. "No, my promises are not so willingly given without a promise in return." He gave her a little frown, furrowing his light blonde brows that perfectly matched his hair.

"What could you possibly want from me?" Persephone was nearly too frightened to ask, but she was more frightened of Hades knowing her secrets than she was of what Rhadamanthus wanted. Rhadamanthus did not answer right away. He considered her for a moment, his face drawn into a concentrated frown.

"An exchange of needs, so to speak?" He finally suggested. Persephone closed her eyes and breathed in sharply through her nose.

"Needs?" Persephone groaned in disgust. Of course. She should not have even put a toe in that territory. She opened her eyes and glared at the god. "Perhaps you ask too much from me. I'm not so in need of secrecy that I would give in to any of your 'needs.'"

Persephone made a move to jump from her spot on the wall, but Rhadamanthus was faster. Before she could put her feet on the ground, he jumped up and rushed to stand in front of her. He hastily placed his hands on her shoulders, setting her back down in her spot. For whatever reason, Persephone complied. His hands on her bare shoulders sent shivers down her spine and even though she was fuming at his suggestion, she stayed put. He stood over her, tilting his head down to look at her and strands of his hair fell over his shoulders in a white curtain.

"Not those needs, silly girl," Rhadamanthus tried to assure her. "All I ask is for one day of your company. Come visit me in my home. Lord Hades has shown you his; I want to show you mine."

Persephone huffed and roughly shoved his hands off her shoulders. Even though it was worlds better than what she thought he was suggestion, there was something about it that still bothered her.

"How is this not forcing me?" Persephone asked, still rightfully skeptical of his intentions. "You said not three minutes before, that I deserved more than coercion."

"Smart girl," Rhadamanthus smiled. "Nothing slides so easily past you, does it? I cannot say that you have disappointed me. I rather enjoy your sharpness of wit. Fine then. I will be a man of my word - I won't coerce you."

"You'll still tell Hades about my meetings though. What good does this do me?" Persephone was not so willing to let herself fall into a trap. Rhadamanthus was crafty and the least she could do was try to keep up with his slippery words and talk of promises and exchanges.

"I'll keep your secret, simply on merit. I've enjoyed your company far more than I had imagined that I would. You interest me. You intrigue me. I don't want to lose your trust before I've had a chance to earn it." He inched closer to her and grazed his knuckles down the smooth skin of her arm. Persephone kept her expression blank, watching him with disinterest.

"But what if I already don't trust you?" She said grimly, watching with satisfaction as he drew his hand from her arm.

"Do you not?" Rhadamanthus questioned curiously. Persephone looked up at him as he stood over her. She studied his face, half hidden behind his curtain of hair. The god was not as tall as Hades, but his presence was just as powerful as he towered over her. It was not as obvious as Hades', with his raw power and physical size. Rhadamanthus' aura was more insidious in the way that it seeped into Persephone's senses, intoxicating her with his unusual beauty and his presence that demanded her attention. She hated the way Rhadamanthus pulled her in, and how willing she was letting herself be close to him. Despite her first disastrous meeting with Hades, he had been nothing but kind and gentle to her. She could even call him safe. But Rhadamanthus was different. He did not offer Persephone the safety that she had come to know from Hades. He was far more dangerous. Rhadamanthus was a rose that was lovely to behold, but the hidden thorns behind the petals made him unsafe to touch.

"I'm not sure yet…" Persephone's answer carried on the breeze that blew over the forlorn ruins and Rhadamanthus came ever closer to her. She could smell the faint scent of sage wafting in the air between them. She could see the triumph written all over his face, celebrating in his mind the private victory that only he knew of. Persephone knew that giving him any answer other than a solid denial was risky and she questioned why she was taking that risk with him.

"Then allow yourself to find out." Rhadamanthus encouraged softly.

"Should I, though?" Persephone narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't know what to think of you."

Rhadamanthus leaned over her, the scent of sage sweeping over her, and he brought his face dangerously close to her. She felt his cool fingers grasp her chin and with gentle force, pulled her close to him. His breath warmed her skin as he spoke.

"And I know precisely what I think of you, Persephone." Her name rolled off his tongue as it was the sweetest thing he had tasted. His gaze flickered down to her lips and for half a second, Persephone wondered if he would kiss her.

A mixture of nerves and bashfulness emboldened her to break free of his latest spell and Persephone pulled her chin out of his fingers.

"I cannot recall asking you what you thought," Persephone said. She was still reeling from Rhadamanthus' touch but was rather proud of herself for not sounding like a silly weakling. The god in question was unphased.

"Sometimes, there are answers that don't need a question." Rhadamanthus still spoke in a warm murmur. "Will you come? Will you visit me in my part of the realm?"

"If I say no?" Persephone whispered back.

"That is entirely your choice, my dear." He once more invited himself into her space and he lightly tucked her hair behind her ear, his fingertips barely ghosting her cheeks as he pulled away. The delicate hair on her arms stood up at his touch and Persephone's knees threatened to give way. Of course she should say no to him and his wicked charm and handsome face.

But he was giving her a choice, and the power to choose for herself was far more enticing than anything. Nobody had given her such an opportunity before. Not Demeter. Not Hades.

"Then I chose yes." Persephone agreed. Hearing herself agree to meet with him did not sound real to her own ears. "I'll indulge you and pay you a visit. Once. No more than that."

The triumph returned to Rhadamanthus' expression and his smirk was unbearably smug, but Persephone found herself unable to be too concerned about it. What a fool she was to be a victim of his charm, but her curiosity about this god was stronger than her sense of caution. And she would be careful! Her mother had engrained mistrust and unease into her instincts since her birth.

Just a bit of danger would be fine.

"Once will be enough." Rhadamanthus said. Persephone rolled her eyes.

"Enough for what?" She demanded.

"For you to get a true glimpse of who I am, and not what the Nymphs are whispering in your ears."

"We will see about that." Persephone snipped.

"I look forward to seeing you," Rhadamanthus said, standing up straight and mercifully giving Persephone room to breathe again. His expression grew grim and he glanced over his shoulder to the direction of the amphitheater. "Unfortunately, it is time for me to be on my way. The duties of a judge of the souls are never ending, as mortals are continually perishing.

He glanced back down at her and to her utter embarrassment, winked one dazzling eye down at her. "Until we meet again, dearest Persephone. Come to me at your leisure; I eagerly will watch for your arrival."

"Until then, you strange man." Persephone bid him farewell, biting down on the inside of her mouth to keep herself from smiling, and the world around her suddenly became strangely empty as Rhadamanthus made his exit. The wind picked up his silvery hair and she watched as his hair danced all around him.

Persephone hated the Underworld. She hated Hades. She hated Rhadamanthus. She hated it all because she wanted to despise every part of this new life but deep down, Persephone could not do it. She hated how she could not hate the Underworld. She hated how much she enjoyed Hades' company. And she hated, absolutely detested how much she looked forward to seeing Rhadamanthus once again.

 **Hades**

It was a never-ending task, but Hades was resigned that this was his burden to bear for eternity. The souls of the newly-arrived dead were gathered in the amphitheater, silently waiting to be told where their final resting place would be. They gazed around at their surroundings with blank expressions, not saying a word, not revealing any fear or thoughts within. Depending on where they were sent, that would not change. If they were judged as heroes or exceptional humans in life, they would have the fortune of spending the after-life in the Elysian Fields; their senses would return after being wiped away by death and those souls would be able to enjoy their lucky afterlife.

That would not be the case for the rest of the dead.

Hades seated himself on a throne at the highest point of the amphitheater, from which he could see the entire crowd seated on the dark stone steps. At either side of his throne, the judges were gathered. All of them arrived on time and were seated in their assigned places. All, save for the seat at his right.

Rhadamanthus.

That damned fool was late. What was keeping him? The few immortals who also served as judges had attended the party the Nymphs has thrown, and even they were there when they needed to be, despite the constant flow of wine into their chalices.

Rhadamanthus had been strangely absent from the party, and he was the kind to never miss a gathering where he could drink and flirt. It concerned Hades that Rhadamanthus was missing, but only because at some point in the party, Persephone disappeared.

She claimed that she was leaving to go get something from her room, but she never returned. Annis drunkenly went to find her, but she did not return either. Hades was aching to go to her room himself, but even in his wine-soaked senses, he decided that going to her room was still too forbidden for him to do.

Time passed at a crawl, and then duty as god of the Underworld called, and Hades could not ignore his tasks.

Not like Rhadamanthus could, apparently. So when Hades finally spotted that mane of silver hair sneaking its way over to his side, a moody cloud had settled heavily over Hades' shoulders.

The lesser god settled himself in his seat at Hades' right side and Hades glowered down at him.

"Where have you been?" He grumbled darkly. The smirk that was plastered on Rhadamanthus' face only grew and Hades conjured up seven different eternal punishments for the judge.

"I am shocked that you didn't have little spies to watch me and report back to you, considering how little you trust me these days." Rhadamanthus teased, casually leaning back into his seat. He laced his fingers behind his head and rested the back of his head in his palms. He was gazing up, fixing Hades with a devilish smile. There was a lightness to his aura, a new skip in his step so to speak, and Hades briefly wondered who he had just bedded to put him in such a happy mood.

This was the happiest mood that Hades had ever seen Rhadamanthus in. The other judges were muttering amongst themselves, impatient to get the trials started, and shooting Rhadamanthus irritated glares but he paid them absolutely no mind.

"What sort of trouble did you get into, old friend?" Hades demanded, rubbing his temples with his fingers. "I'm not so sure that any reason you give can justify your lateness, but go ahead and try amuse me with your excuses."

"If you must know, lord Hades, the reason I was late was because of a new opportunity for myself." Rhadamanthus said with a mocking cheerfulness that boiled his blood. Hades held back the urge to throttle him.

"Oh. And what new opportunity was that?" Hades knew better than to allow himself to be baited by Rhadamanthus, but the faster he could deal with this god, then the faster they could begin the trials.

"An opportunity to make a new friend." Rhadamanthus answered. Hades' ears perked up and he leaned over the arm of his chair in anticipation. There was a foreboding to Rhadamanthus' cheerful words that turned his heart in his chest.

"A new friend? Who?" Hades watched in growing dread as the god's smile widened until every last one of his teeth glistened in the gloomy light, like the mouth a lion baring its teeth.

"The most recent arrival to the Underworld."

Right then and there, the breath rushed out of his lungs and Hades felt as though Rhadamanthus had just struck him right in the gut. He was practically standing from his seat now, leaning so far over to get right in Rhadamanthus' unapologetic face.

"I told you to stay away from her," Hades snarled with all the quiet fury he could muster. "You promised me that you would."

"I hardly ever made such a promise to stay away from her," Rhadamanthus did not shy away from Hades, instead leaning over his own chair and bringing himself inches from Hades. " Now that I've met her, gazed upon her face, heard her words come from her sweet mouth…" He barked out a sardonic laugh and every speck of his eyes glinted with wicked glee. "I'm afraid it is impossible for me to stay away any longer."

"You are MY subject and under MY authority. Everything and everyone in this world bends to my will," Hades ordered in a strangled whisper, trying to keep their argument from the curious ears of the onlookers seated all around them.

The mirth in Rhadamanthus' face turned steely and his lips curled into a sneer; it was rare that Rhadamanthus ever allowed the facade to fall away and reveal anything hidden beneath. His arrogance and pomp was a carefully constructed mask, hiding the truth of himself from everyone, and there were only a handful of times that Hades could remember where Rhadamanthus was anything but the Rhadamanthus he was accustomed to.

And he had certainly never seen this cold, quiet anger from him before.

"Oh, how right you are, Lord Hades," he jeered in chilling tones. "I am your subject and I am crushed under the weight of your authority, tied to your ever droll word, yes, yes I know this. But Persephone...she is not. That lovely goddess does not belong to this realm, as she is here against her will. And you are far too moral, too good to force her to bend to your rules. She can do as she pleases, and if she were to happen upon the Elysian Fields and seek out my company, well…" Hades watched his sneer turn into a vicious, deadly smile. "Then who would I be to deny her?"

So this was it. Rhadamanthus was going to disobey him, blatantly going against his demands. His hand gripped the arm of his seat until his knuckles turned white.

"How dare you—"

"Come, come now, Lord Hades." Rhadamanthus cut in. He gestured to the other immortals before sitting back in his own seat. "The others are growing rather restless. We have business to attend to. How rude of us to keep them waiting."

And with that, the god settled back in and his haughty persona returned as if nothing had happened. But Hades noticed the way he pointedly stared down at the souls gathered and how tightly he clenched his jaw.

Hades compiled for now, settling back in his seat as well and giving the signal to the others that it was time to begin. As the souls filled into place and began their march to the seat of his throne, Hades was fuming with his thoughts running wild.

Jealousy. Betrayal. Fear.

Rhadamanthus had won, but Hades vowed to ruin his chance of victory again.

This was not over.

AN - thank you all for your patience while I cranked out this chapter. For some reason, this chapter gave me the freaking. hardest. time. ever. Idk if I went through a mini writer-identity crisis or what, but I sort of lost my confidence while writing this and had to step away and reevaluate myself as a writer. I guess it happens sometimes and I feel like I made some progress as my skills as a writer but really...I'm all down for constructive, helpful criticism. If you guys have any suggestions or helpful hints, send them at me! Just be kind :) thanks for reading and I tried to make this chapter a bit longer to make up for the stupid long wait in between updates. Love you all!


	9. The Dark Thread of Fate

**Persephone**

Her breath was held captive in her lungs. The heart inside her body beat rhythmically against her chest, frantic and excited at all at once. Minutes flew by as Persephone raced back to her room. The empty corridors stretched on for ages as she hurried to her door. Persephone's mind was a wild storm of conflicting thoughts and desires and questions. She wanted to be alone to think over her next actions. The goddess was desperate to sort out this strange new turn of events in her increasingly strange new life.

The door to her room greeted her, a familiar sight to her now, and Persephone felt the door easily give way beneath her touch. Somebody had already opened this door. Her mind was far too full to carefully consider who might be waiting for her, so Persephone barged in inside. A woman was sitting at the foot of her bed and Persephone was horribly reminded of the time Minthe had snuck in and waited for her like a predator after prey.

But it was only Annis. She made no movement to stand to her feet when Persephone burst in and one look at her glassy amber eyes and smirking mouth told Persephone that her friend was still quite inebriated.

"Annis?" Persephone breathed, still reeling from her encounter with the pale-haired god. "What are you doing in my room?"

"I'm always welcome here, aren't I?." Annis laughed, leaning back on the bed with her elbows. Persephone numbly walked to the bed and fell beside her friend, half-wishing that Annis wasn't there.

"Where did you run off to?" Annis questioned with a wicked twinkle in her eye. "You couldn't have been with Lord Hades. He stayed behind until his lordly duties called him elsewhere. Nobody else had seen you around the castle. So, tell me where you went!"

Persephone strongly considered lying. Even before she had met Rhadamanthus, she was darkly warned against seeing him, mostly by Annis herself. The other Nymphs were admittedly impressed with his prowess as a lover, but all mutually agreed that he was trouble. It would bring no good to tell Annis now what she had been up to. Even so, Annis might be able to shed some insight onto her situation. Maybe this Rhadamanthus was not so villainous as she and the other Nymphs had made him out to be. In a split second, Persephone decided to tell the truth.

"If you must know…" she began in a hushed voice, fearful that Hades could somehow listen in on her conversations. Persephone glanced over at the still open door, letting in candlelight from the corridor spill into her dim room.

Her hesitation was driving Annis wild. The Nymph sat up and grabbed Persephone by the shoulders, whirling her around until the goddess was nose to nose to her with an excited grin.

"You are acting so secretive! Now you must tell me!" She squealed. Persephone huffed and shoved Annis' hands off her shoulders. Stabs of irritation frayed her already tense nerves.

"Annis, you are so dear to me but please try to control yourself," Persephone said in exasperation as she fended off a giggling Annis from grabbing her shoulders again. "What I am about to tell you is serious. You must try to be calm. And what I tell you absolutely has to be kept between us." Persephone all but demanded. The sudden gravity of her tone seemed to sober Annis somewhat. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to fix Persephone with a stern and discerning gaze.

"Of course," she responded, silky brunette hair falling around her face as she nodded her head, trying her best to be present and show that she was listening. "No silliness. I'll be serious."

"Thank you," Persephone sighed, feeling a twinge of guilt for being demanding. "I'm sorry for acting so cross, but I think that I might have gotten myself into a messy situation and I need your advice."

"Oh, I'm not good for advice at the moment. In my state, I would only lead you astray!" Annis laughed gaily. Persephone gave her a weak smile and nervously ran her fingers over the smooth ends of her hair.

"Even so, I just have to get this off my chest." She mumbled. "Maybe some glimmer of brilliance will come through the wine haze." The corners of Persephone's mouth lifted into the tiniest smile as she teased her friend. Annis chuckled at her own expense but then gathered her features into the most stern gaze she could muster. She leaned close to Persephone, whispering with the absolute seriousness that Persephone had asked for.

"Then what is this messy situation?"

Persephone closed her eyes and sucked in a sharp but steadying breath. She emptied her lungs in a deep exhale, but kept her eyes closed, nervous to see Annis' reaction to this news. It was best to just get it over with.

"I met Rhadamanthus," she blurted without warning. "He seems to have taken a liking to me and...he wants me to visit him in the Elysian Fields."

The silence was deafening. Seconds marched by at a furious pace. Tension filled the room. Persephone could not stand it. She dared to peek at Annis, opening her eyelids in the slightest of cracks, only to see a blurry face inches from her own. Annis' amber irises were wide with horror and shock. Once she saw that Persephone was looking at her, her mouth fell open.

"Persephone," she stated in an eerily flat voice that echoed over the silent room. Persephone peered into her friend's aghast face, curious and somewhat amused.

"Annis?" There was a pause. Then Annis screwed her features into an unpleasant grimace.

"NO!" She shrieked without warning. Persephone practically jumped out of her skin. In a second, Annis flew to her feet and towered over a stunned Persephone.

"You cannot! Haven't we all warned you about him?" Annis demanded, flailing her arms about in wild gestures.

"He seemed flirtatious, but surely he cannot be as wicked as you all make him out to be, right?" Persephone asked, watching as Annis paced back in forth in front of her like a distraught mother hen. "You must be exaggerating! You are acting insane right now."

"We are not exaggerating and I have every right to act insane!" She halted her mad pacing and stared down at Persephone. "Nothing good will come out of meeting with him! Rhadamanthus loves to gather conquests and you will just be another addition to his collection!" Annis pointed a finger right in front of Persephone's nose.

"That won't happen!" The goddess snapped as she swatted Annis' hand away. " I won't let it. I'm just going to visit him one time and that'll be the end of it."

"You shouldn't even give him a chance to try. Rhadamanthus is sly and clever and has a tongue as silver as his hair." Annis hissed angrily. For a moment, Persephone was at a loss for words. She hoped that all this anger wasn't directed at her, but rather at the situation. Or at Rhadamanthus. Her lips pressed together in a tight line and her and Annis locked gazes in a stalemate.

Deep down, Persephone desperately wanted to admit to Annis the truth. She feared that if she did not go, then Rhadamanthus would spill her secret about Hermes to Hades. Rhadamanthus had promised her with his smooth voice that he would not tell Hades about her clandestine meetings. He promised that she had a choice. But did he speak the truth or was it all a ruse?

Annis seemed to take note of Persephone's contemplative silence. Her posture relaxed as she sighed, her ire visibly cooling. Annis plopped down on the bed next to Persephone and she laid a hand on her arm.

"You have endured so much already. I just want to protect you from enduring anything more," Annis assured gently. The wine was leaving her senses now. "How on earth did you run into him? He rarely ever leaves the Elysian Fields, unless he has been summoned to judge the dead or to attend a party. Did you go to Elysian?"

"No. He came to me. I was...well…" Persephone faltered, unsure of if to reveal her location or not. Annis would ask far too many uncomfortable questions. She decided that a half-truth would be better to play off than a full lie. "I wanted to get away from the party for a bit, so I wandered over to the ruins for some peace and quiet. Rhadamanthus was there too. That's where I met him."

"Funny how he just so happened to be there when you were alone," Annis' husky voice dripped with sarcasm. "Did he follow you?"

"Yes." Persephone answered with a roll of her eyes. "But he claimed that he was on his way to the party and saw me and decided to—"

"Stalk you like an animal?" Annis cut in with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"Oh, come now, Annis!" Persephone gave her friend a playful swat on her arm, trying to lighten the mood and pull Annis out of her grumpy, drunken stupor. "I don't think that he's all that bad."

Annis was not going to be easily swayed. Her eyebrow raised ever higher, nearly disappearing into her hairline. She cocked her head to the side and her lips turned down in a grimace.

"What about Hades?" She asked bluntly. Persephone leaned back from Annis as if her friend had slapped her. Her heart began to beat in a funny rhythm.

"I beg your pardon? What about him?" Now Persephone had somehow gotten to her feet. Annis was unapologetic. She was staring up at Persephone, frowning.

"I've seen you growing closer to him. You're comfortable in his presence now—happy even! You two are getting along well and I don't want to see that growing friendship ruined. Rhadamanthus will go out of his way to soil your relationship with Hades."

Her heart would not stop flipping around in her chest. Persephone, again, was finding it hard to muster up any retort to her friend. Instead, Persephone promptly turned on her heel and marched around the bed. Her head was swimming once more with thoughts of this new god and the god of the Underworld. Try as she might, she could not get her mind to behave and organize her thoughts in a neat, straightforward manner. Their faces kept rising to the surface as many times as she tried to wash them away. She rounded the end of the bed and took a few steps beyond, making her way to the open balcony that overlooked the courtyard that she loved. Persephone stood in the threshold of the door, leaning her weight against dark marble pillars and watching as the twilight sky swirled with hues of purple and blue. For a long while, Persephone willed the words to come, but they could not cross her lips. Annis waited patiently for her to say something, to say anything.

"This meeting with Rhadamanthus changes nothing." Persephone managed to choke out unconvincingly. "There isn't anything for him to 'soil' or ruin!" She turned around to firmly tell Annis that whatever she was assuming was absolutely incorrect. "Hades and I are—"

Annis was standing right behind her! Persephone had not heard her creep over. She gasped and jumped back. "Annis!" She cried! When did you—"

"Do you want to see him?" Annis sharply interrupted. "Do you like Rhadamanthus?"

Her stomach was now clenching uncomfortably. How could she even answer that? Of course she didn't like him! She hardly knew him, and from what she gathered from their brief talk, he was an insufferable flirt. Persephone disliked him more than she liked him. Yet, if that was true, then why was his face the one she saw in her mind's eye.

Just as she saw Hades' face.

Persephone recalled the last time she had seen the god, only a few hours before, light and joyful with wine and his handsome face smiling at her. A telling blush crept across her cheeks, unfortunately seen by Annis.

"You do! You like him!" Annis cried as she jabbed a finger in Persephone's blushing cheek. She gasped dramatically and held her hands over her mouth. Perhaps Persephone was wrong in thinking that the wine was ebbing out of her senses.

"Annis, you must try to contain yourself. Whatever you're thinking is wrong." Persephone tried to reason, but Annis leapt back, mouth still agape in horror.

"He won't let you," she babbled in near hysterics. "He will put a stop to this!"

Persephone paused and a sinking feeling settled over her.

"Who will put a stop to what?" She asked darkly. Annis' eyes shifted to the door and Persephone noticed that her feet were inching away.

"Hades won't let you go." She whispered maniacally. "He knows how Rhadamanthus can be. If I cannot stop you, then HE WILL!" With those last words, Annis fled from the room in a flurry of indigo robes and sleek, brown hair. Persephone stood in the frame of the balcony for a second, dumbfounded, stunned, and weakly trying to call Annis back into the room.

Then her mind snapped to attention and her limbs could move again.

"Annis! Wait!" She screeched as her legs finally moved and Persephone raced after Annis. She threw open the door with a bang and frantically looked down both ends of the hallway, just in time to see the edges of her dress trailing around the corner. Persephone dashed after those robes, calling out Annis' name, not caring if the entire castle could hear her cries. Persephone stumbled after the Nymph, nearly tripping over her own feet as she zoomed around the corner. There she spotted Annis running down a hallway that was completely unfamiliar to Persephone. She did not hesitate to run after her.

Persephone cursed under her breath, in disbelief that even in her drunken state, Annis would do such a cowardly thing like tattle on her to Hades. How dare she! And her friend could fly like the wind! Persephone huffed and puffed pathetically just to keep that damned brown hair in her sights. Her demands that Annis halt fell on deaf ears, but they rang throughout the stone walls for everyone to hear. A few baffled Nymphs even poked their heads out of their rooms and stared at them with confused faces as the pair raced by them in the hallway. They were soon barreling down the corridors of the castle that looked familiar to Persephone. Annis suddenly took an abrupt turn and Persephone skidded to a halt, her mind racing to form a plan of attack. If she could somehow cut her off before she reached the Throne Room…

Persephone turned around and flew back down the hall that she had come from. She didn't go far before she took a left and threw open a door that led to the outside. There was a wide, sweeping balcony that ran the entire length of this particular side of the castle that would take her straight to the throne room where Annis was undoubtedly headed. The sound of her furious footfalls echoed as her feet slapped against the magnificent marble floor, bouncing off the thick, intricately carved marble pillars on her right.

Faintly burning fires in sconces mounted on the walls lit her path. The sky had darkened to a deep shade of inky blue, signaling that night was passing in the world above. Persephone could hardly see but a few feet in front of her as she passed the lit sconces. Her eyes did not catch the looming shadow that seemed to come out of nowhere until it was too late to stop. Her body collided with something large and solid. Strong arms reached out to steady her before Persephone toppled to the ground. She instinctively grabbed the arms as she tried to regain her balance. The firelight reached where she was standing and Persephone saw a broad chest and dark beard.

Hades.

She couldn't help the gasp that came out of her mouth and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. He looked down at her and even in the dim light, his furrowed brow was unmistakable. His beard didn't hide how his mouth turned down. Firelight glinted in cold obsidian eyes. She had never seen Hades look this angry before. Persephone wrangled herself from his grasp and took a step back.

"I—I'm so sorry," she breathed "Please forgive me, I did not see you." At first Persephone wondered if Hades was frustrated at her for running in his home. Her mother had certainly sought to discipline that wild behaviour out of her. Inside was for walking. Outside was also for walking, if one was a lady. Running was for vagrants and men. Persephone had never quite learned that particular lesson. Persephone waited for the god's face to break into a reassuring smile and gently whisper that all was forgiven.

But instead, the candlelight played eerily over the stony mask that stayed in place on his features.

"Persephone," he said her name in a gravelly voice. "What in gods' names are you doing?"

She was taken aback at the lack of warmth in his words. Instead he seemed irritated by her antics. Shame burned her cheeks. Embarrassment tingled her eyes and the tears swam in her vision. Why was Hades speaking so coldly to her? Her heart suddenly dropped as a reason for Hades' shift in mood came to her.

"Have—have you seen Annis? Has she spoken to you?" Persephone squeaked anxiously, stepping closer to Hades and peering into his face. His brows furrowed deeper at her question.

"I haven't seen her since earlier this afternoon," Hades grumbled in response. At her nearness, his shoulders visibly tensed but he did not back away from her. Persephone blinked dumbly a few times. So he had not seen Annis. She had not had the chance to spill this secret about Persephone's new acquaintance. So then what was the reason for his coldness?

"Oh. That's...that's fine." Persephone stuttered. "I was just, erm, looking for her. I'll find her eventually." She finished with a dismissive wave of her hand, internally thanking all the gods and goddesses that she had gotten to Hades first. The god stayed silent, staring down at her with a dark and serious gaze. Persephone was undeterred by his unusually sullen countenance. True that the god of the Underworld was prone to be grim and stoic, but Persephone felt that there was something deeper. Something was amiss.

Had her friendship with Hades grown to the point where she was comfortable asking for his thoughts? Persephone wanted to find out. If he was not mad about Rhadamanthus, then what could he be upset about? She gave a little sigh, relaxing her posture and hoping that it would set Hades at ease. He continued to watch her and she wondered what he was thinking as he silently waited for her to speak.

"Hades, you seem different. You seem angry. Is everything alright?" Persephone asked softly, her concerns carrying over the tile in the cool, dusk-bathed balcony air. This time it was Hades who blinked several times before answering. Just as she had hoped, his shoulders relaxed and the tension his body carried eased somewhat. He lowered his head until he was looking down at the floor.

"I have had a very taxing day," he answered heavily. Hades lifted his head and Persephone was relieved to see that the gloom had left his dark irises. Instead he seemed tired. Exhausted. Persephone found that her relief was short-lived. "I do not mean to be so calloused. My anger is not directed at you," he tried to assure the goddess.

"Is there any way that I can help?" Persephone could not say why she felt compelled to reach out to him, but she did not like seeing Hades in this state. It twisted her heart in a strange way. But nothing could compare to how her heart reacted when Hades lifted his hand and slowly reached out to her. Persephone waited with her breath in her throat as he laid his palm on her cheek. His fingers slipped into edges of the hair at her temples. The hardness of his grimace softened into a wistful gaze, full of sadness and adoration.

"Persephone…" Hades murmured deeply in his rich voice, warmly brushing his thumb over her smooth skin. "Nobody deserves you."

"What?..."

She could barely even take a breath between the flutterings in her heart. He had not touched her since he first brought her to the Underworld. She had demanded, out of fear and loathing, that he never touch her again.

Now, though, Persephone did not detest his touch. Now, though, Persephone found that the way his hand warmly cupped her face as his obsidian eyes poured into hers was—

"Lord Hades! Lord Hades!" The frantic cries pierced the stillness of the balcony. Annis' frantic footsteps slapped on the floor as she made her hectic entrance. She rushed to Hades' side, clutching his arm and paying no mind to the hand that still lingered on Persephone's cheek. Whatever softness that he had allowed as he let his guard down was instantly dissolved and replaced with a new surge of anger. But now irritation mingled with frustration.

Annis tugged on his arm and Hades reluctantly let his hand fall to his side, leaving Persephone's skin warm where he touched her. Her mouth refused to open. She wanted to push Annis away, to chastise her for interrupting them or to keep her from blurting out her secret. But the way Hades had ever so gently touched her kept her stunned and silent, trapped in suspension as she watched the scene unfold.

"Annis." Hades growled like a bear. "What the hell are you doing?" He demanded. Annis paused for a beat, for the first time taking notice of the foul mood of the glowering god. That did not deter her for long. She let go of Hades' arm and tried to stammer out a response.

"I—have to tell you something," she stuttered nervously.

"Annis! No—" Persephone hissed. Hades glanced at her curiously, but turned his attention back to the Nymph.

"What is it?" Hades demanded once more, this time gruff and impatient. A shadow fell over his face and for once, Persephone thought that she saw for the first time, a glimpse of the fearsome side of the god of the Underworld. Annis saw it too. Her olive skin paled and she gaped up at Hades, fearful and unsure of herself.

"Well? Speak up." Hades crossed his thick arms over his broad chest and glared down at Annis. "I don't have time for nonsense."

His anger drew Annis back to sobriety. She shook her head spastically, backing away from him until she stood beside Persephone.

"Nothing. I forgot." She had lost all her nerve. "It wasn't that important anyways." Persephone huffed just loudly enough for only Annis to hear and she fought the urge to roll her eyes. Hades all but did that in her stead. He let out an exasperated sigh, emptying himself of all outward anger. The god rubbed his temples with his fingers for a moment before fixing Annis and Persephone with stern eyes.

"Take Persephone back to her chambers," he addressed Annis grimly. "And do not pester me again until all the wine has soaked out of your veins."

"Yes, of course, Lord Hades," she hastily replied, trying to wind her arm through Persephone's despite the goddess' attempts to push her off. She untangled her arm from Annis just as Hades turned his back on the pair without so much as a farewell. Persephone trotted after him for a few paces until she could reach out and grab his wrist. At the feeling of her skin on his, Hades stopped in his tracks.

But he did not turn around. The shadows of the darkening sky threatened to swallow him whole. All that Persephone could see was his towering form standing in the darkness between the sconces on the wall. And she could see was that his stance was rigid.

"Hades?" She whispered to him. He turned his head at the sound of her voice, just enough to where she could see the profile of his face. Her fingers gently squeezed his wrist. Something did not sit well with her about him. Despite it all, Persephone wanted to help. So she spoke three more words to him, hoping that Hades would tell her what was bothering him.

"What is it?..." Persephone gently spoke to him. At this, Hades turned around a bit more to where he placed his hand on hers. There was no mirth in his expression; only a sullen sadness as he carefully pushed her hand off of his.

"Let me be…" He spoke in the gentlest of whispers. Persephone could not help the way that her stomach dropped to her knees at his rejection. To say that she was surprised did not come close to how she felt when she watched the god painfully turn around and disappear into the darkness beyond the light. All she could manage to do was to stand there, numb with her heart stinging, and wonder why he had turned away from her so suddenly.

An unwelcome presence tiptoed up behind her.

Annis. Persephone whirled around and came nose-to-nose with her friend.

"Have you lost your mind?" Persephone snapped. Annis backed away, tears swimming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." Annis began to apologize, but Persephone did not want to hear it. The sting of Hades rejecting her was stirring up too many feelings that she did not care to explore. Besides, Persephone was far too angry with Annis for trying to betray her confidence.

"I'm leaving." Persephone pushed past Annis and marched down the hallway in the direction that she came from. "Don't follow me."

The tears would not come. Persephone wanted to have a good cry over this disastrous evening, but the shock of how Hades had so easily walked away from her dried up any tears that would come. She had not gone a few paces down the hallway when Annis came after her.

"Wait! Please," she implored, grabbing Persephone's elbow and turning her around. "I acted like a silly fool, but please let me explain. Rhadamanthus is danger. You are my friend. I wanted to protect you. I wanted you to listen to me. When I thought that maybe you were toying with the idea of giving him a chance...I lost my mind. The wine took over! But if you want to go poke the sleeping dragon yourself...well...so many choices have been stripped from your control, maybe you deserve to make this choice on your own. But you must consider my warnings. Please."

Annis was sincere. Persephone could see that. Her anger at her friend was justified, but the reason for her current heartache did not have to do with her friend.

"I don't care about that right now," Persephone admitted, pulling herself from Annis. "Rhadamanthus means nothing to me. I just want to be alone."

And so, Persephone left a speechless Annis and practically ran all the way back to her room. She flung the door open, grateful for the empty room, and fell onto her bed. Her face was buried into the soft fabric of the blankets. Still the tears would not come.

Why had Hades been this way with her? Where he had treated her with kindness and gentleness and tenderness, it was replaced with coldness and even disinterest. Why had his rejection hurt her like this? Truthfully, Persephone did not believe that he was capable of rejecting her. It was an arrogant thought, but Hades had made it perfectly clear his feelings for her. She believed that if she showed him an ounce of that affection back, then he would be more than eager to accept it.

Unless...perhaps...somebody had waltzed back into his life that distracted him from his feelings for her…

Persephone did not sit up when she heard the latch on her door open and footsteps crept quietly into her room. She wished that it were Hades coming to visit her. But she knew who those footsteps belonged to.

"Persephone…" Annis sat on the bed next to her and lay a hand on her back. "What is it?" She asked. Persephone thought she had told Annis to leave her alone. But the rush of anger at her friend cooled as quickly as it ignited. It was not because of her friend that she was confused and hurt.

"Why...why did he turn me away?" She asked, her voice muffled in the blankets. "I thought that...that...we cared for each other."

"I cannot say why. I was just as surprised as you…" Annis responded somberly. That did not bring Persephone an ounce of comfort. Instead it made her thoughts go wild with speculation. Amidst the storm of worry and fear, one thought, one image, burned more brightly than the rest. That was the one that bothered her the most. That was the one that she loathed to be true. Persephone slowly and agonizingly sat up. Ash blonde hair fell around her face and she felt moisture on her cheeks. When had she started crying? Annis looked at her with her face full of concern. Persephone stared at her, willing herself to say the words that made her chest ache.

"Annis...what if...what if Hades and Minthe are lovers again?

* * *

The castle that Persephone had been growing to love and call home, no longer felt safe. In the day or so that followed her meeting with Rhadamanthus, Persephone all but convinced herself that her suspicion of Hades and Minthe being lovers again was completely untrue. There surely had to be a better explanation for Hades' sudden change in attitude towards her. Just because he was now cold and distant did not mean that he had taken a lover. Persephone assured herself that she worried herself for nothing, and even if it were true that they were together again, why did she let it bother her?

The few times that they had happened upon one another, Hades did not greet her with the gentle warmth that she had come to expect from him, and it bothered her more than she cared to admit. It only justified her suspicions that there had to be something going on that she did not know of, even if she tried to make herself believe that Minthe was not that reason.

Hades had duties to attend to in the Underworld. He was the god of this place after all, so surely he had frustrations to deal with on a regular basis. Right?

That had to be it. For a while, she pretended that all was well and Persephone felt a bit at ease. That was, until Minthe showed her face at the castle again. She flounced into the garden where all the Nymphs were gathered and seated herself in their midst. A few of them were welcoming to her and even excited that she was back at the castle after being absent for weeks.

Annis just glared at her. Persephone's entire body froze, her eyes locked onto Minthe's willowy form as she simpered at the Nymphs. She had nearly forgotten how truly beautiful this woman was, with her abundant mane of shocking red hair and eyes greener than emeralds. The Nymph in question paid no mind to the goddess and her scowling friend; she happily ignored them while she chatted with the others, a triumphant smile on her rosy lips.

Persephone hardly registered fleeing the garden. She did not know that she had even left until she suddenly found herself wandering in the throne room, Annis hot on her heels. The night before, Persephone and Annis had stayed up for hours to discuss why Hades had changed towards Persephone.

"Maybe I was wrong?" Annis breathed to a wide-eyed Persephone. It had been her who tried and succeed in convincing Persephone that her suspicions about Minthe were unfounded.

That incident had prompted Persephone and Annis to find a new gathering place. Lately, the pair were meeting at a tiny gazebo tucked away deep in the pine forest, on the borders of the Underworld.

Tartarus lingered in the distance, its presence looming like a dark cloud. Persephone could not help but feel nervous when she strayed so far from the safety of Hades' castle, but she could not abide to be there. She chose the fringes of Tartarus rather than Minthe's presence.

Far beyond the boundaries of the castle, Persephone had a chance to learn more about the new world in which she lived. There was a presence that darkened the shadows and gloom. Annis called it Erebus. It was an elemental deity; the substance of darkness rather than a human-shaped god. She explained that this Erebus could be sensed all over the Underworld and in the land of the living, the mortals could feel the presence in the hollows and crags of the land, filling the darkness with mystery. Persephone wondered if she had felt this entity when she made her sojourns to the Styx to meet with Hermes.

Here at the gazebo in the gloomy woods, Nyx often came and joined them, since her dwelling place was closeby in Tartarus. Persephone found that she rather enjoyed the company of this ancient goddess of the Night. Her calm and steady countenance was a stark contrast to Annis' fiery and bold spirit. In a way, Nyx reminded Persephone of Hades; both were steadfast and gently serious, preferring to let others outshine them while they watched from the shadows. Both the deities were born at the dawn of existence and both of them craved the peace and solitude of the Underworld.

Persephone decided to confide in Nyx about her predicament with Rhadamanthus, which the trio were currently discussing as they lounged in the confines of the pillars. There was no proper seating to fit all of them as most of the benches had long since crumbled away, so the goddesses and the Nymph sat on the stones with their toes dangling in the water of a tiny pond that was placed right in the middle of the gazebo. A fountain bubbled in the middle, the oddly cheerful sound of the water out of place in the misty air. The pillars were made of once-brilliant marble, their worn surfaces covered in clinging rose vines. It was a lovely and haunting place and Persephone felt at ease in the wild woods around her, more so than in the carefully cultivated gardens of the palace courtyard where Minthe could be lurking unseen in the foliage.

The question of Rhadamanthus and Persephone's impending visit with the Judge burned on their tongues. Persephone, who had already told the god that she would indeed visit him, confided in her friends that she did not know yet if she would actually go. Annis still adamantly stood her ground that Persephone flee from his offer as if were poison. Nyx somberly agreed with with Annis.

"I have not had the misfortune to be entangled with the god myself, but tales of his antics have reached even Tartarus." Nyx warned gravely. She sat at Persephone's right. Her raven locks flowed down her chest, reaching to her waist and fluttering in the steady breeze that swept through the pines. Her concern for Persephone's safety reached further than that of not allowing her to visit her home in Tartarus; the goddesses truly cared for Persephone. She admitted that she felt as though they had been friends for ages, since she had long since known about Persephone, due to Hades confiding in her about sneaking to the above world to catch glimpses of her.

It was endearing that Nyx cared for her well-being so much but, it was also tiring that they had spent the better part of their last few gatherings trying to convince her not to go see Rhadamanthus.

"Honestly, you two. What is truly so wicked about him?" Persephone mumbled. She also loathed how often this god popped into her thoughts uninvited. Their banter had been infuriating and enjoyable. Persephone wanted to go back to visit him just to see what kind of man he would reveal himself to be beneath his teasing and slippery words. Maybe there was nothing more to him than that. Maybe there was a whole world to be discovered beneath a facade. Persephone was determined to discover who this Rhadamanthus truly was.

Annis however, already had an answer for her.

"He is a selfish miscreant, brimming with lust and using those who would seek to love him as playthings to be discarded when he tires of them." Annis spat out with all the venom of a viper. She held a twig in her fingers and scraped the tiny piece of wood harshly over the stones that made the foundation of the gazebo.

Nyx's pale irises widened at Annis' unabashed vitriol. "Well, well, well! Tell us how you truly feel, and do not hold back!"

Annis scraped the twig even harder over the stones and scowled. Persephone wondered if she were pretending that the stones was the face of a certain silver-haired judge. She was being far too harsh with him, in her opinion.

"But the other Nymphs were all in agreement that he is—" Persephone attempted to argue, but Annis just cut her off.

"A fantastic lover, yes, but those who would praise him are also those who have been used by him," she explained, tossing away the stick and turning her amber irises onto Persephone. "They will not admit their heartache. I do not want to see your heart broken as well." Her tone had been emptied of its bitterness, leaving behind only concern.

Persephone could not think of what to say in return. Deep down in her heart of hearts, Persephone could not deny that in all likelihood, Annis was right about him. But she could not make herself stay away. Rhadamanthus intrigued her. He called to her. And she had to see what it was that spoke to her so strongly.

The women's words faded away while they swirled their feet in the fountain's cool water. This tiresome mess could be remedied if Persephone simply told Annis and Nyx the truth; that she toyed with the idea of visiting Rhadamanthus because she feared that he would betray her confidence. She feared that Hades would find out about her meetings with Hermes and put a stop to them. Her one and only way of speaking to her mother would be cut off. Once Hades isolated her from any hope she had of leaving, maybe she would truly become of prisoner of the Underworld and its fearsome Lord. How then would she feel about Hades? She did not want to hate him. He had given her every reason to hate him and every reason to trust him. If only her friends knew what made her feel as if she had no other choice but to see Rhadamanthus, despite his promises that she did indeed have a choice.

Persephone had no doubts whatsoever that the god with silver hair and icy eyes was cunning and clever and used to getting what he wanted. Perhaps he had already plotted and planned, setting up a trap for her that she was readily falling into. But she could not take any risks. That meant going to see him. That meant keeping secrets from her friends.

Annis, sitting beside Persephone, scooted closer to her and threw a comforting arm around the goddesses' shoulders.

"You must know that I only do this because I care for you, Seph." Annis assured, taking Persephone's contemplative silence as a brooding protest against her opinions.

"Of course I know that, it's just—" Persephone opened her mouth to tell Annis that she was simply lost in her own thoughts, but then she stopped herself, realizing what had just come out of her friend's mouth. "Seph? Did you just call me 'Seph?'" Persephone tilted her head quizzically at the Nymph with a smile wavering on her lips.

"Seph...for Persephone." Annis playfully answered. She rolled her eyes and flipped her hair carelessly over her shoulder. "Honestly, it can be such an exhausting name to say at times!"

"I second that!" Nyx piped up. "Far too many syllables for my liking." Teased the other goddess, who had only one syllable to her name. The three of them had a few laughs at Persephone's expense before Annis spoke again.

"Do you hate it?" She asked, now sheepish. Persephone was silent for a moment, letting this new little monicker dance around in her thoughts.

"I love it." Persephone said with sincerity.

"It suits you." Nyx offered kindly. There was something about the way Nyx told Persephone that this name suited her that tugged painfully at her heart.

"Back when I was a small girl, my mother and the Nymphs would call me 'Kore.' It was a sweet name for a sweet child, they said," Persephone sighed, leaning back on her elbows and tilting her head up to gaze at the ceiling of the gazebo; the rose vines grew as high as they could reach, the blooms growing on the very tips of the vines. There was a picture painted on the domed ceiling that Persephone could not quite make out, the colors long since faded.

"Later on, when I became older, I learned the innocent meaning behind the name—perfect for a young, carefree maiden who was not quite a girl and not yet a woman," Persephone continued as her companions listened.

"It was an endearing nickname for many years. Then I grew up. I became a woman, to my mother's horror, and still, the name stuck. Up until the moment that Hades took me, all of them still called me Kore. I hated it." She spat with more bitterness than she wanted. "It was fitting for a little girl but demeaning to a woman. I love my mother, but she tried so hard to keep me that little girl. She tried so hard to protect me from the dark dangers of the world, that she could not let go of Little Kore and see that somewhere along the way, Persephone had replaced her. I don't think that she ever quite forgave me for growing up. So please...call me Seph if you wish,"

Persephone smiled at Annis as she said this, just before turning to the other goddess. "And you're right, Nyx; it suits me."

The goddess' soft expression morphed into a grin and Persephone felt a sudden sense of foreboding; this new friend of hers loved to tease.

"Does it suit you because there is no longer a reason that you should be called a name that means 'maiden' and you haven't been telling us all your secrets?" Nyx inquired with all the mischief in the Underworld. From her other side, Annis giggled and leaned into Persephone's arm.

"Perhaps so!" Annis bantered. "Little Kore keeps running off on her own!"

"Of course not!" Persephone pushed Annis off of her, laughing despite herself. "The meaning still applies but I am a grown woman that doesn't need to be treated like a child. That is all I mean, you wicked thing!" She swatted Nyx on the arm while her friends continued to laugh. Persephone still marveled at the fact that she had found such friends in the Underworld, and even more so that she enjoyed her time here.

"I say that to only tease you, Seph!" Nyx assured slyly. Persephone just nodded her head. Annis and Nyx fell into a conversation about Minthe and if she was Hades' lover or not. Annis had been swayed to Persephone's side and believed that it was true. Nyx disagreed. That topic had been discussed thousands of times already, and Persephone found that she was weary of the subject. Without a word, she stood to her feet and wandered to the nearest pillar, covered in vines. A blood rose nodded in the gentle breeze, sharply reminding Persephone of the color of Minthe's hair. The goddess grimaced and then lay her fingertips on the smooth petals.

When was the last time that she had used her powers?

In her mind's eye, Persephone pictured that the bloom was not scarlet, but instead a gentle, blushing shade of pink. With a push that her mind willed, the color that Persephone wished for began to bleed from the tips of her fingers into the red. That soft pink slowly flowed over the petals, blocking out the harsh shade of red until the entire rose was covered. Not a scrap of red remained, only Persephone's blushing pink. Satisfied, Persephone smiled at her handiwork, half-thinking that she should change the color of every rose in that gazebo.

The brief glimpse of her power was unseen by Annis and Nyx, who were busily arguing. Persephone's was not the devastating and awe-inspiring power of Zeus, or the power that Demeter wielded to control the harvests; it was a simple gift to bring the gift of spring and new life to whatever she touched. She could revive dying plants and create new ones or bring existing ones under her control. Persephone had spent her childhood exploring her powers, cultivating her gifts and seeing how creatively she could use them…

Until Demeter put a stop to it. Power would attract the attention of Zeus. Persephone sighed as she remembered that moment when her mother forbade her to use her powers for more than simple tricks; everything in her life came back to Zeus, it seemed.

Persephone crossed her arms and stared out into the deep green piney woods that surrounded her. A thick mist curled over the needle-strewn ground. The women's whispers and the bubbling of the fountain the only sounds that carried in the stillness of the Underworld. This part of Hades' domain reminded Persephone of the willow tree and the river where Charon ferried the souls. The further from Hades' castle one went, the wilder and darker the Underworld became. Especially this close to Tartarus.

The sound of footfalls crunching over pine needles disturbed the stillness and Persephone perked her head up, straining to see who the owner of those footsteps could be. A tall, towering figure emerged from the misty woods, making his way to the gazebo with a determined gait.

Hades.

Persephone's throat clenched uncomfortably when she spotted his dark gaze already locked onto her. But it lasted merely a second. He shifted his sights beyond where she stood. Annis and Nyx abruptly cut off their words, ones that had been about him, and watched with guilty faces as Hades made his way to them. The god brushed past Persephone without so much as a word, but shifted his obsidian irises to her for a moment as he passed. He stepped beyond the threshold of the gazebo, filling the space with his presence.

"Nyx," Hades addressed the goddess gravely. "I need to speak with you. Alone." He said pointedly. Before Nyx could open her mouth to respond, Annis hopped to her feet and dashed over to a speechless Persephone. Nyx also stood up and walked over to where Hades had planted himself, leaning against one of the pillars with his arms crossed over his chest. Nyx cut her eyes to Persephone and gave her an apologetic smile before addressing the god.

"Of course, Lord Hades," Nyx replied, a snippish bite to her words.

Persephone watched the scene unfold, numb and embarrassed. For what reason, she could not say. Perhaps it was her imagination or sensitive feelings, but suddenly the gazebo and Hades' unexpected visit made her feel terribly unwelcome. Annis wrapped a comforting arm around her waist, wordlessly urging her to walk away.

 **Hades**

"Honestly, Lord Hades, you are being far too harsh with her." Nyx scolded the moment that Annis and Persephone were out of sight, disappearing into the misty forest.

"If you are going to reprimand me, then feel free to drop the formalities." The god's deep timbre resounded in the quiet gazebo. "We are friends. You alone can call me by name when we are together." Hades offered, albeit exasperated, as he fell heavily onto one of the stone benches nearby.

"Alright then, you jealous fool," Nyx slid onto the bench, seating herself at Hades' right. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

"She's been avoiding me," Hades muttered somberly as he stared at his feet, suddenly unable to look Nyx in the eye. "This is where she hides from me…" He did not have to say who he meant. Nyx already knew the truth behind Hades' gloomy countenance and he had sworn her to reluctant secrecy. He craved her council and wisdom, but he also needed her to keep quiet about what she knew, as much as it pained her and as much as she protested.

"Can you blame her?" She questioned harshly, leaning over and trying to get him to look at her. "You cannot continue to treat her so coldly. This is your realm, yes, but Persephone is free to do as she pleases. There are choices that she has the right to make. Haven't you said this yourself since the beginning? You are striving to be different than the ruthless immortals of the world above. If that is your goal, then you must allow her to be free in the world that you have forced her to reside in."

Hades jerked his head up and his features were settled into a gloomy frown. Nyx was not wrong. From the moment that this ordeal started, Hades fought against his desires to make sure that Persephone did not suffer any more than she already was. That act alone separated him from his immortal family. But there was another, living in the world that Hades created, who would not be so obedient.

"He is a part of my realm. He should be obeying my commands. I will not so freely give that bastard a choice," Hades growled menacingly.

"What if Rhadamanthus is her choice?" Nyx bluntly stated, not caring that the sound of his name caused Hades to flinch.

"She cannot chose him if he has faced my wrath. Would it be so wrong to throw him into the deepest, darkest part of Tartarus? I have thought of it countless times since we last spoke, and I have half a mind to do it." He teased darkly.

"He might deserve it, but yes, it would be wrong." Hades watched her slim lips rise into a smirk. A part of him felt relief that she agreed with him. Another part of him felt stabs of guilt. He brushed these conflicting thoughts aside, growing serious to ask Nyx another question.

"What have you said to her about this matter?"

"Annis and I have both advised her against it. Strongly advised her against it." Nyx emphasized. "She is listening to us, weighing her options, but there is something more below the surface; something that she is keeping from us. I cannot tell you what it might be, but I do believe that Persephone is keeping another secret."

This did not bode well. Hades huffed like an angry bull and abruptly stood up from the bench. He scanned the scenery, not truly seeing the world around him but instead trying to get a hold of his rushing thoughts. Persephone had another secret? Nyx had lived for ages and her wisdom was not to be taken lightly. If she believed that Persephone had something to hide, then there could be no mistaking Nyx's suspicions. Hades roved his angry gaze over the roses growing on the vines, spotting a softer shade hidden in the vivid reds.

A pink rose.

"Why is this one different?" Hades mused aloud as he strode over to where the blushing bloom peeked out from the deep green vines. His hand cupped the soft petals and he stared in bemused wonder at the strange sight. The roses that grew wild in the Underworld tended to be scarlet or white. Pink roses only grew in the vast courtyard of his castle. Nxy slinked up behind him and he heard her genial voice whisper.

"I believe that was the work of your dear goddess."

Despite himself, Hades smiled. He held the bloom, thinking of the hand that had touched this rose to turn its color from a harsh red to this gentle pink. Persephone did not deserve his unkindness. Had he not put her through enough hell by bringing her here?

"I am going about this all wrong, aren't I?" Hades bemoaned, lowering his hand and letting the rose fall back into its hiding place.

"Oh, without a doubt you are! Hades, she cares for you. Even if she cannot see it herself, or does not want to admit it, she has grown to have some sort of affection for you." Hades hated how his heart dropped to his knees when Nyx told him this. He did not turn around to face her. Not yet. He did not want her to see how vulnerable the goddess made him.

"Your change of attitude is hurting her," he felt a hand on his shoulder as Nyx continued talking. "She does not understand why you have turned on her and it is causing her distress. Her mind is running wild. She even thinks that you have taken up with Minthe again and that is what is causing your distance!"

"I would never do that!" Hades exclaimed as he whirled around while Nyx dropped her hand from his shoulder. Minthe had certainly seemed to sense that something was amiss in Hades' life and had taken to hanging around the castle again. Of course Persephone might think that. "Why have you not told her the truth?"

"It is not my truth to tell." Nyx shook her head, placing her hand reassuringly on Hades again. "You know what you must do. You need to talk to her. Reach out to her. Set her fears at ease. If you ever want her to chose you instead of Rhadamanthus, you have to be willing to let your own guard down. She will respond well to this. I know it."

Choosing him instead of Rhadamanthus? Hades could only hang his head, weighted down by the shame that had haunted him from the first second that he brought Persephone to the Underworld.

"I cannot even hope for her to chose me. I cannot hope for her to care for me as I care for her. It is a selfish wish." Hades lamented. "But you are not wrong. I will speak to her. Soon."

 **Persephone**

Annis and Persephone stalked through the woods as the two of them headed back to the castle. They did not speak. Persephone knew that she would burst into tears if even one word crossed her lips and she would hate herself if she cried over Hades. Annis was keen enough to sense her friend's distress and also kept her mouth shut. The pair followed a path, winding through the trees in a part of the world that Persephone did not know well. She had not ventured beyond the safety of the path, only using it to go back and forth between the gazebo and the castle. The land beyond was a mystery.

So when Annis halted in her tracks and mumbled sheepishly that she needed to leave Persephone here alone for a moment, she felt the tiniest bit of apprehension.

"Why?" Persephone groaned. "Do you need to meet with your lover?"

"I do...he does not know that I am coming. We've had a bit of a spat and I am anxious to see him…" Annis said apologetically when she saw Persephone's nose wrinkle with displeasure. "I won't be long!"

"Is he close?" Persephone huffed. This game of secrets was growing tiresome and Persephone wished that Annis had thought to make amends with her lover beforehand. She did not care to be left alone right now.

"Close enough? Will you be alright here on your own?"

"I guess I have no choice. Go and fix things with your phantom lover. Sometimes I wonder if he is even real." The goddess muttered under her breath.

"Thank you. I will be right back!" Annis promised while she dashed down the pathway, leaving Persephone to stand there alone.

Two seconds passed before Persephone decided that she was restless and wanted to explore her surroundings, despite her nerves and the proximity to Tartarus. She turned around on the spot a few times, wondering which direction she should go. The pine trees behind her parted just enough to where Persephone could make out a much narrower, shadowy path that branched off the main one. With only a bit of hesitation, Persephone decided to slip into the trees and see where that parth led.

She would be back before Annis returned.

Each time that Persephone wandered off in the Underworld, she came to regret it. Did that stop her from taking this dark path deeper in the forest? Not at all. Hades' rejection was stirring up a storm inside of her. She felt reckless. Rebellious.

Low-growing branches blocked the path and Persephone pushed them out of the way, noticing that the trail sloped upwards. She had not noticed that she was climbing up what turned out to be a steep hill until the pines thinned and the forest opened up below her feet in a stunning view.

Persephone paused, gazing down at the mist covered pines. Far in the distance, she could see the tips of the castle peeping through the trees. After a minute of gazing at the scene, Persephone turned around and kept climbing. The top of the hill did not feel as if it were far off. The pine trees grew more sparse until finally, Persephone was wandering through a field of tall, slender grass. Above her, the sky boasted of thick, swirling gray clouds. If this were the world above, Persephone would have believed that the sky would erupt with rain at any second. A fierce wind swept across the rolling hilltop, blowing the skirts of her forest green robes in a frenzy. The path wound over the grassy hill, bringing her to a destination unknown.

Annis would surely be back by now, but Persephone did not pay that any mind. Annis had been silly enough to leave her own her own. Besides, Persephone had been infamous for slipping beyond the watchful eyes of the Nymphs and going off by herself. This was no different. Besides, this narrow path intrigued her and Persephone wished to see what was at the end.

She still climbed upwards and Persephone thought that she would be reaching the pinnacle of the hill soon. Sure enough, in the distance, the hill sharply shot upward from the earth in a mound that was suspiciously, perfectly round. The hazy air hid what could be a structure of some sort that sat directly on the top. The path lazily wound onward, heading straight for that strange mound. She followed the path until she reached the foot of the hill. A series of stone steps curled around the hill and the goddess placed her sandaled foot on the stones, ready to climb them to the top.

"Are you sure about this?"

A voice whispered in her head. Persephone paused. That voice that spoke to her did not sound like her own. She hesitated, wondering if she should take heed of this whispered warning.

But she did not ponder it for long. Now more than ever, Persephone was curious to see what was hidden at the top. She boldly treaded onward and upward. It did not take long for Persephone to reach the top. The ground leveled out and the steps led her to a knoll that was covered in heather. From the top of this hill, Persephone could see the forest below her, reaching out in the distance like a sea of pine. It was a breathtaking view, but she did not let herself linger at the sight for long. Something far more interesting and frightening greeted her.

A henge of ancient stones was erected in the middle of the knoll. There were carvings on the worn and weathered, mossy surfaces that Persephone could not recognize. In the center of the henge there were three roughly hewn stone seats, misshapen and rough. One could not even tell that they were seats if it were not for the three women seated upon them.

These women did not acknowledge the goddess that had stumbled into their midst. In their hands Persephone could see thin strands of brightly colored strings. They sat on their stone thrones, only the sighing wind over the hilltop greeted Persephone. She inched closer to the trio, stepping into the circle that the henge made.

"Who—who are you?" Persephone asked in a tremulous voice. The first of the three appeared to be the youngest; her flaxen hair blew in the wind and in her hands she held a distaff and spindle. A thread wound in the tools in her hands and she glanced up from her work with familiar gray eyes.

"Have you not been told of us, young one?" She asked in a singsong voice, the soft notes of her words rising and falling in an eerie tone that chilled Persephone to the bone.

"There is far too much that I have not been told," Persephone answered, unsure of why she was allowing herself to be so frank with these women. They did not seem to be a danger to her, just unusual and even unnerving.

"We are the Moirai." The first woman replied without ceremony. "We are the Fates; daughters of Nyx."

Daughters of Nyx? Was that why those gray irises reminded her of the goddess of Night? Persephone let herself take a step closer to the women, wondering if the other two would speak up. As if they could read her mind, and Persephone fully believed that they could, the middle of the women spoke. She was measuring out a thread on the length of her arm when she glanced up at Persephone through thick, dark lashes.

"No god can escape the threads of fate that bind them. Not even the almighty Zeus. Not even you, Persephone, goddess of the Spring and Daughter of Demeter and Zeus." Her hair was raven black, resembling so much of Nyx's dark locks. Persephone was taken aback that they knew her name. If they knew her name, then maybe they could tell her what would happen with her life? Maybe they could tell her the future?

"Can you tell me my fate?" Persephone all but pleaded, standing right before the women, so close that she could see the first and youngest pull a thread out of the distaff that was a deep shade of black.

"Fate is inescapable, young one. Why do you wish to know what it is that you cannot change?" She questioned cryptically as she took the black thread in her thin fingers.

"Can there be a way to change my fate?" Her question carried on the harsh wind. The gray eyes flickered from her face and back down to the thread as she pulled it to her spindle.

"Your mother was destined to lose you," she said with her singing voice now somber and heavy. "All of her preparation and caution could not hide you from the eyes of destiny. It was a noble but futile attempt to hide you away and garnish your life with rules to protect you. Demeter did not know that the path she took to avoid pain would be the very one that led her to her greatest suffering. There is a thread that ties you to the god of the Underworld. It was only a matter of time before the thread pulled you to him." She wove the thread around the spindle until she pulled the end out and offered it to the woman at her side.

The middle woman who boasted of the black hair took the thread from her sister's fingers.

"The thread has two ends; one that is tied to you and one that is tied to him," she explained, not even bothering to look at Persephone when she spoke. Instead, she pulled the thread until it stretched the length of her arm, measuring it over and over. "Your time in the Underworld was destined. Your fate is happening right before your very eyes. The young god Hermes can do little to steer you from your current course. Follow the river's steady flow until you reach the end. Fighting against the current will only wane your strength and you will drown. Instead, hold on to the thread that ties you to Lord Hades. He will lead you to the end." Satisfied that the thread had been pulled to its proper length, she handed the thread to the last and oldest woman.

Persephone could only describe her as a crone. She wore a hood on her graying hair and her skin sagged with age. The elder woman grasped the thread in her bony hands.

"Fate is inescapable," her raspy voice croaked. "The light fades. Your former life will become but a dim memory." From the folds of her tattered robes, the crone produced a pair of shining, sharp metal shears and held them up to the hand that held the thread. The slim sliver of thread hovered between those dangerous blades.

"Embrace the darkness, for it will be your destiny," the crone harshly demanded. She squeezed her hand. The shears sliced against each other, cutting the thread in two and the pieces fluttered helplessly to the ground.

* * *

She flew down the hill. She flew down the path. She flew through the pine forest. Persephone did not stop to find Annis. Honestly, the Nymph was far from her thoughts at the moment. Fear flooded her senses. All she could see and hear was the crone telling her that darkness was her fate. The sight of the black thread falling onto the heather-covered ground would not leave her. What did this all mean? Was she fated to be stuck in the Underworld forever?

For as much as she was growing to love this place, Persephone did not want to be forced to stay. She wanted to be able to come back and forth as she pleased. Her hope was that somehow she could convince Hades to bend the rules so that she could leave at her leisure and return when she wanted to visit.

How foolish. How naive.

She was asking the god of the Underworld to change the structure of his realm for her. Why would she even hope for such lofty goals when Persephone had not even managed to convince him to let her go? She could not even get Zeus to force Hades' hand. What a silly little fool she was!

Persephone raced across the manicured lawn and up the sweeping steps of the castle. She pushed aside the doors and burst into the throne room. Where she was frantically running to, Persephone did not know. She was desperate to escape the Fates. All she wanted was to put as much distance between herself and those women as possible.

They were wrong. They had to be. She could not let them be right. Persephone would change her fate. She would be the master of her destiny. Her choices had all been taken from her; she would not allow that to happen ever again.

Persephone tumbled into the Throne Room, finding it empty save for the figure that was planted on the Throne. Hades jumped up when he saw her and Persephone froze. Every inch of her being tensed when she saw him. He was the very last being that she wanted to see and they very one she wanted to speak to the most.

Hades was the reason that she was here. He was the reason that the Fates told her that her destiny was darkness.

And yet…

Hades was the very reason that she wanted to stay.

"Persephone?" He called out to her, her name a question on his lips. She paused, noting how his voice had returned some of it's soft cadence. Hope bubbled in her chest. Hades had not spoken so gently to her since their encounter in the hallway.

"Hades," she called back. She spoke and his name echoed off the marble surfaces of the room. The way that Persephone said his name seemed to bring life to Hades. He gave her a weak smile and stepped down from the dias that his throne was on. Wordlessly, silently, with only his footsteps slapping on the tile floor to fill the quiet, Hades came to her.

Persephone watched with bated breath as the god came near. He walked right up to her, so close that she could reach out and lay a hand on his chest if she wanted.

Would he let her, she dreamily wondered.

Hades stopped until he was looming over her, gazing down at Persephone with a hopeful look on his handsome face.

"Persephone…" he murmured down at her. Persephone's heart leapt into her throat. How how she not realized that she craved the sound of his voice speaking to her? Had meeting with the Fates frazzled her senses and she had gone mad? What were these feelings that were leaping around in her chest?

"I have kept my distance from you, and I must apologize for it. My anger has been mistakenly directed towards you, and that is not fair of me to do. I want to say…"

Persephone watched in wonder as the softness in Hades' gaze shifted into pain. His brow furrowed as a frown overtook his face. He lay a hand on her shoulder, his touch heavy on her skin. The change in Hades frightened her. Persephone searched his face, knowing that she couldn't hide her concern as she wordlessly asked him what was the matter.

"Please…" Hades grimaced at his own plea. "I beg of you, do not see Rhadamanthus."

 **A/N - Okay, so for those who might be a bit more acquainted with Greek mythology, I've seen a lot of things that say that the Fates chill by Zeus' side at his throne in Olympus. I only found that out after I fell in love with the idea of Persephone meeting with them in the Underworld, so I took the liberty of twisting that detail to match my story. And since the Fates are so powerful, maybe they can transcend worlds and move freely without Hades knowing or being able to control it? Who the heck knows, but I say that they live on top of the hill in the fake Stonehenge.**

 **I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so much for reading!**


	10. Inescapable

I AM OFFICIALLY IN DOUBLE DIGIT CHAPTERS! AHH! Thank you to all who have stuck with this story. I am honored that each and every one of you have taken a chance on Twilight Maiden, and thank you so much for sticking though ten dang chapters with me. I hope that you enjoy my _**tenth**_ chapter! Happy reading, everyone!

* * *

 **Hades**

Hazel irises widened in shock. Cheeks flushed scarlet. Lips that once smiled hopefully fell open in a gasp. Hades had not intended to say those words, but they spilled from his mouth like water from a dam. Hades had intended on approaching Persephone calmly and rationally, speaking to her of his concerns and confessing why he had kept his distance.

But the jealous fire in his heart raged stronger, burning away the carefully constructed barriers that Hades had put in place to keep them at bay. His anger towards Rhadamanthus still seeped into his actions. The burning emotions in his chest slowly engulfed him.

Though, the hurt in Persephone's eyes did cool his ire enough to make him wish that he had been gentler with her. Persephone numbly blinked at him as the stunned goddess tried to gather herself enough to stammer out a reply.

"How do—how do you—what do you mean?" Persephone breathed, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Persephone," Hades mumbled somberly. "I know that you have met with Rhadamanthus."

He watched as Persephone's chest heaved, the goddess taking in a deep, steadying breath.

"How?" She sighed with voice carrying the heaviness of one resigned to their fate. "How do you know?"

"He told me himself," Hades admitted gruffly, remembering the moment that Rhadamanthus' smirking, triumphant face had openly and gleefully told him about meeting her. As he revealed this truth, Persephone pulled her elegant brows into a frown. She turned away from Hades, her darkening expression frowning. The profile of her face nearly lost to shadow as she stared into the throne room beyond, brooding and upset.

"Why would he do that?" Persephone hissed, her anger unmistakable. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest and Hades loathed the confidence that surged within him. It pleased him to see her cross with Rhadamanthus' betrayal and he hated himself for this selfish pleasure.

"To defy me," Hades growled, unable to keep the bite from his response. "To challenge my authority."

Persephone did not reward him with a response. The wheels in her mind turned over and over, carrying her thoughts down a path unknown to him. Her frown grew darker and the woman's rosy lips turned into a tight, thin line as she pressed them together.

"What exactly is he defying?" Persephone asked her question in a clipped tone. She still would not look in his direction.

"My commands. After you first arrived, I...I forbade him from seeing you." Hades admitted begrudgingly. Perhaps he played the part of a fool, telling Persephone the truth of his actions. But that burning jealousy inside of his chest drove him onward, reckless and vengeful. As soon as the words tumbled from his lips, Persephone whipped her head around, finally looking at him but only to fix him with a heated glare.

"Now you are trying to forbid me from seeing him?" Persephone demanded hotly. Her sudden anger only served to fuel his own ire.

"He is not safe. Meeting with him would be putting yourself in danger." Hades argued, hearing his own voice raised in frustration. He would do anything to make Persephone understand that no good would come of Rhadamanthus' request.

His feet moved to close the distance between him and the goddess. In turn, Persephone balked at his nearness; she flinched away from him, even though he did not move to touch her. Hades was struck by how that movement reminded him of their first interaction in the woods, when she was full of fear and apprehension.

Yet there had been none of this rage that now seeped from the goddess in their current meeting.

"I am immortal; what sort of danger is he to me?" Persephone challenged the god. Her words echoed noisily over the marble tiles, filling the room with her demand. Hades leaned closer to Persephone once more and this time she did not shy from him.

"You know exactly what kind of danger I mean," he murmured, not pandering to her willful ignorance of the Judge's intentions. The heat in persephone's glare turned to stone. She narrowed her eyes up at him and Hades saw her jaw clench.

"The kind of danger that brought me to the Underworld in the first place? The kind of danger that you are?" Persephone accused with a ruthlessness that cut Hades straight to his heart.

He wanted, desperately wanted, to deny that he presented himself as a danger to her, but how could he? She spoke the truth. Hades raked his hands through his hair as the goddess waited for him to fight back, but the words could not come. Her words had rendered him speechless.

"So, you won't deny it?" She spoke somberly. Fearfully, even. The lack of denial from him seemed to stir something within Persephone. Her flaming ire snuffed out and a shadow fell over her. Uncertainty replaced the hardness in her gaze.

"You won't deny that you are just as great a danger to me as what he is rumored to be?"

"Not a rumor, Persephone. The truth." Hades implored. His hands reached to grasp her shoulders. "Whoever has spoken to you of his ways does not exaggerate. I just want to warn you—"

"No! Enough!" Persephone ordered. She brushed aside Hades' hands before they could reach her. "Annis has warned me against it. Nyx has warned me against it. Now you are warning me against it. You of all beings have no right to tell me what is safe and what is dangerous."

Persephone spoke with a desperation that both confused and worried him. In the dim light, Hades saw shimmering tears glistening in her eyes. Where was this sudden surge of fear coming from, he wondered.

But instead of offering comfort or pressing for the reason behind her fearfulness, Hades allowed his pride to be wounded by her words. And he allowed his damned pride to take precedence over her phantom fears.

"Do not forget that you are in my realm; I do have a right." Hades argued before he could stop his lips from speaking those words. His fuming companion's eyes narrowed dangerously and color flushed her already reddened cheeks.

"I am not your subject!" The goddess scoffed. "I am not even supposed to be here."

"But I am the god of the Underworld, and you are here now." That jealous monster roared within him, chasing away reason. Those wounded feelings within him cried far louder than that still voice trying to warn him that with each word he spoke, he only made things worse.

"So you are going to bully me into obeying you?" Persephone cried. Hades ran his hand through his hair, tangling his fingers in his dark mane. Why would she not listen to him?

"To protect you!" He all but shouted. Frustration had taken over any sense of calm that Hades tried to hold on to. She did not flinch at his raised voice but instead raised her voice to match his pitch.

"Protect me?" She let out a bitter laugh, one free of any mirth. Her head shook slightly in disbelief. "Then protect me from yourself! You brought me here without my permission! How can you pretend to have regard for my safety?"

"That is not something that I pretend! I care for the safety of the ones that I love."

In a second, the air in the room thickened. Hades' declaration rang throughout the empty room like a ceaseless clanging bell. Never before had he wished that he could snatch his words out of the air and shove them back in his mouth.

Shame heated his cheeks. Hades closed his eyes and roughly rubbed his temples with his fingers, hiding his embarrassment from Persephone.

It should not have been this way. This confession of love came on the tail end of a heated quarrel. There should have been tenderness and warmth, not arguing and harsh words. Hades should have been holding her close, murmuring softly into her ear instead of needlessly blurting out his feelings.

"Damn you," Hades chided himself. "You have acted poorly since the beginning of this mess. You cannot take this back!"

"The ones that you—you love?"

Hades pulled his hand from his face and willed himself to face Persephone.

The gloomy shadow that shrouded her had lifted. Instead he found himself staring down at wide eyes and lips parted slightly. A glimmer of something that was not anger or fear shone in her gaze. The corners of her mouth twitched. Was it a smile or a deepening grimace?

Hope swelled within him. She drew in a steadying breath, her chest rising softly as she readied herself to speak.

"If you love me, then you would let me go home."

Just as quickly as his hope had grown, Hades felt dread darken his heart. Persephone did not speak to him with accusation this time. She remained calm and steadfast in a blossoming hope of her own.

But Hades was not blind to the weight that her softly-spoken statement carried. Persephone could not have been ignorant to what she asked of him.

She had him pressed into a corner with no chance of escape.

By freeing her from captivity, Hades could win a chance at gaining her love, but also face the consequence of undermining his own reign. By keeping her here as a prisoner, she would prove to Hades that his love was false.

How clever this goddess was, to use his unwitting confession of love as a tool for her own use. How foolish he had been to not guard his mouth more carefully.

She waited patiently for him to respond; a denial or a confirmation or even a fresh new quarrel to break this silent tension. Hades could not muster up any of those things. He could not give her what she desired.

Not a word.

Not her freedom.

The silence stretched on for an age. At long last, the goddess' shoulders fell and she tore her gaze from him and once more settled on staring at the darkness beyond them.

"Then you do not love me." Persephone affirmed flatly, showing no sign of any emotions that might be raging beneath.

Still, Hades could say nothing and this seemed to only disappoint her. Could he be mistaken, or did he detect the slightest hint of sadness?

He did not dwell on it for long. Persephone came close to him, closing the gap between them until her toes nearly touched his. She peered into his face, her features set into a mask that he could not read.

"You will no longer be allowed to determine my fate," the goddess decreed, her voice a gentle storm. "Not you. Not anyone. Only me."

With a swish of her forest-green robes, Persephone brushed past Hades. The scent of flowers lingered in the air as the goddess disappeared into the shadows of the throne room. So in the end, she reigned victorious with Hades backed into a corner.

And neither one of them could possibly be content with the outcome. Hades stood there, still and unmoving as a statue.

How did everything go so terribly wrong? His hands curled into tightly clenched fists. He squeezed his fingers until they trembled.

Persephone was wrong. His affection for her flowed as deep as Poseidon's oceans. What once lived as an infatuation had grown into something much more. Could it be called love? Perhaps not. But given a chance to flourish, Hades had no doubt in his mind that one day he could truly come to Persephone with his heart laid bare before her and say with certainty that he loved her.

Yet the hope of that moment ever coming to pass dwindled until it was nothing more than a foolish wish. In a second, the sadness that threatened to topple him changed into that burning rage.

Rhadamanthus had won. He, not Persephone, reigned the true victor.

Before Hades could make up his mind to march to straight to the Elysian Fields and strangle that white-haired menace with his bare hands, the doors to the throne room burst open. A Nymph came tumbling inside.

Annis. A pair of frantic golden eyes locked onto Hades and she rushed over to him.

"Lord Hades!" She breathed heavily as if she had spent herself from running. "Have you seen Persephone? I left her in the woods and she was not in the same place when I returned to fetch her!"

Her worried cry filled his ears and Hades wished that he could just have a moment of peace. Every fibre of his being wanted to order the Nymph out of his sight. He inhaled a sharp gust of air through his nose in an attempt to soothe his irritation.

Hades uncurled his fists to beckon Annis to come to him. She hesitantly crept across the black tiled floor until the god of the Underworld loomed over her. Annis hunched like a crone, expecting him to bestow a harsh reprimand.

"You left her alone?" Hades questioned the cowering Nymph in a dangerous rumble. "In the Underworld? Close to Tartarus?"

"Yes…" The woman answered in a strangled whisper, unable to glance up at him from where her gaze was trained on the floor. Annis had dwelled in the Underworld for centuries; long enough to where she had been a witness to his terrible wrath; the rare display of power that gave him the reputation of being a fearsome god.

"Why?" That one word was spoken with a bite that made Annis flinch.

"For foolish reasons!" Annis confessed, gazing up at him with an apologetic and worried face. "I am sorry, Lord Hades. Please forgive me!"

Hades sighed and roughly tugged at the end of his beard, frustrated and weary of this conversation; he had a sneaking suspicion that her "foolish reasons" were a matter of the heart. Hades was well aware of the identity of Annis' lover and that tedious matter brought him an entirely different headache. He would sort her actions out at another time. All he desired at this moment was to be alone.

"Do not be so careless with her again. I entrusted her safety and wellbeing to you since the beginning. You are now her closest confidant in the Underworld. Look at me, Annis." Hades frowned down at the Nymph. "Do not disappoint me again."

His stern command resounded over the marbled surfaces and Annis nodded her head.

"Of—of course!" She stammered.

Hades sighed again, the action unable to ebb the rising tension in his chest. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and relief flooded Annis' paled cheeks. Hades hoped that he had been firm, but not terrifying. His was not a rule of fear and intimidation. Hades wanted his subjects to have a healthy respect of his rules and commands, but he did not want to subdue them with an onslaught of abuses.

A smirking face shrouded by silvery hair rudely came to mind. Not all of his subjects were so willing to respect his authority. Perhaps he had been too lenient as of late? Now did not seem the time to dwell on how he ruled his realm. The god gave his subject a comforting squeeze on her shoulder.

"You will likely find the goddess in her chambers. Go to her. She is in distress." He advised. Annis mumbled a hasty response before she scampered off to find Persephone. Hades watched her go, brunette locks bouncing between her shoulder blades, before marching to the opposite end of the room.

The god hardly paid any mind to his surroundings as he stormed through the corridors of his palace. Anyone who found themselves unlucky enough to be in his presence quickly and wordlessly gave him space.

He did not stop until he had reached his personal chambers. Hades practically pushed the doors down as he entered his room and stomped inside. Behind him, the doors closed shut with a decisive slam.

"This is a disaster," he growled to himself as he paced in his room like a caged dog. He should have never brought up Rhadamanthus in that way.

Annis and Nyx were both trying their best to steer Persephone's mind against that man. He should have left it alone. If there ever had been even the tiniest shred of hope for Hades to sway Persephone to his side, he had snuffed out that hope by his own doing.

If only he had spoken kindly to her and explained his shift in mood, as he had intended to in the first place...he could be enjoying her company instead of fuming in his chambers alone. Had they not come so far since he first forced her to the Underworld? Why did Hades allow his frustrations and jealousy to soil the tentative budding of a companionship between them?

The doors to room's balcony were wide open, letting a gentle twilight breeze to come flowing inside. Hades wearily walked the length of the room to the balcony, stepping outside and breathing in the cool air. A view of the courtyard opened up below him. Hades gripped the stone railing as his eyes traveled over the dark gardens and found himself searching for something beyond the gardens: another balcony, almost directly across from his.

It was her chambers.

Hades had not intended to set her up with a room that could be seen from his own. Annis had done it on accident, but he would be lying to himself if he had not found a silly glee in having her so near to him.

A dim, yellowish glow emanated from her balcony door, signifying that the occupant was in her room with the candles lit. Hades longed to cross the courtyard and comfort her.

But his presence would not be well-received. He had been the cause of her current misery. Why would she want to have anything to do with him?

Desperation to set himself apart from his siblings had been the driving force behind all of his actions as god of the Underworld. Ever since he became appointed as lord over the realm, Hades sought to rule firmly and justly and mercifully. He had struck a balance with his subjects, one of respect and familiarity.

They were wise to his power and wrath, when he extended it to those who were truly deserving. And they were just as wise to his steadfast and steady nature. After an age of being god over this realm, they had come to expect him to act differently than the immortals of the world above.

But now, in light of how this young maiden unwillingly pulled his heart in so many directions, to what avail had all his careful actions been? In the end, he acted out of desire. In the end, jealous love drove him onward.

In the end, Hades found himself to be terribly similar to those he despised.

* * *

The furious slam of Hades' chamber doors echoed throughout the empty corridor. Anyone who had heard the noise would have wisely turned on their heel and fled.

Everyone except for a certain woman with flaming hair.

Delicate ivory hands glowed white in the soft light of the torches that burned on the walls. They were resting gently on the smooth marble pillars that flanked the entrance to Hades' room, steadying herself as she leaned around them to peer at those closed doors. A triumphant smile curled on her full lips.

She loathed having to cause him pain, but it was necessary. And as far as that twiggy little goddess running from him in tears?

It was a deliciously wicked pleasure at getting to watch her crumble.

Those smirking lips let out a laugh, giddy but carefully hushed. Wasn't she a lucky one, for all to go according to plan?

 **Persephone**

The persistent pounding fists on her door did little to stir Persephone from her sullen reverie. Annis returned from wherever she had slinked off to in search of her lover, and Persephone found herself not too keen on speaking with her friend at the moment.

A bitter part of her felt that if Annis had never left her on her own, she would not have made her way to the Fates. The croaking warning of the Crone buzzed around in her skull. All she could see in her mind's eye was that black thread fluttering to the ground, cut in two by those shiny shears.

Darkness. The Crone had foretold that the fate of darkness awaited her.

Persephone sat on her bed, hunched over with her chin resting on her knees. Fingers tangled into ash blonde hair, clutching at her scalp in a fierce grip. Tears leaked from her tightly closed lids. Her entire body trembled, still reeling from her encounter with Hades.

All her woe about Hades and Minthe being lovers again now rang hollow and silly. There were far more pressing matters at hand.

That thread of fate, tying her to the god of the Underworld, tugged mightily as he all but demanded that she stay away from Rhadamanthus. Persephone, in that moment, had never felt more smothered. The thread wrapped itself around her body like a snake that sought to trap her in an inescapable snare. A dread gripped her soul as that dark thread tightened. All she could think of as Hades pleaded with her was that darkness the Fates damned her to. His obvious jealousy was proof that obeying him would only tie her further to him, was it not?

Her parting words to Hades were an attempt to fight that darkness. Persephone refused to allow this god to control her fate! She would fight against her destiny, even if it meant openly defying the god of the Underworld and facing whatever punishment that he chose to bestow upon her. She would try to be the master of her own life, even if it meant going against every single warning from Nyx and Annis and going to see that silver-haired man…

Yet even after their heated quarrel, Persephone could not quell the ache in her heart when she recalled Hades' harried face with those handsome features pulled into a frown. Was this draw to the god who had stolen her freedom just a symptom of their entwined fate? Or did Persephone find herself truly wanting to let that string tug her closer to him the more she stayed in his world?

What was an act of her own free will and what was just a whim of a fate that she could not control?

Annis' incessant knocking on her door faded and her concerned voice replaced it, asking timidly to come inside.

Persephone did not even glance up at her door. She craved solitude from her, from anyone.

For the first time in too long a time, Persephone desperately missed her home; not just her mother, but her home. She missed the gossiping Nymphs that were easy to escape from. The pine woods was lovely and mysterious, but she was eager to once again stroll through the grove of willow trees and wander the rolling hills that surrounded her mother's palace.

There was nothing that could compare to standing on the edge of a sheer cliff, towering above the roiling azure ocean and feeling the wild wind whip around her in a frenzy.

This perpetual twilight cast the Underworld in a gloom that she once found lovely, but as of late, made her soul weary.

Now more than anything, Persephone longed for the brightness of the sun to chase back the pressing darkness.

* * *

A gale whipped over the hilltops, bending and swaying the tall stalks of green grass to their will. The sky above boasted of stormy gray clouds and the air held a chill. Persephone had found a wool shawl and wrapped it around her bare shoulders; the cobalt robes she wore did little to stave the unusual coolness of the Underworld.

Ever since Persephone emerged from sulking in her chambers, she noticed that the Underworld had shifted; skies had gone from shades of dusk to dark storm clouds that never rained. The shadows deepened and grew, casting the land into an ominous shade. And this cold air…

Persephone pulled the shawl closer to her skin. Had this shift in atmosphere anything to do with her spat with the realm's ruler?

Nyx would neither confirm nor deny Persephone's musings. She strolled alongside the young goddess as they wound their way over the blustery hills. In the distance, Persephone spotted the mound that hosted the henge and its strange occupants. She kept a wary eye on the mound and made sure to give ample room between it and her. Going back for a pleasant chat with the three women did not strike her fancy.

But Persephone found that she loved the scenery of these hills above the pine forest and wanted to do a bit more exploring of the area. Nyx had been happy to come along to keep her company.

For the first time, Persephone had not wanted Annis to accompany her. She still felt slighted that Annis left her alone in the wilds of the Underworld in a weak and vulnerable moment. And it left a bitter taste in Persephone's mouth. Of course, it was her own fault that she stumbled on the mysterious Fates, but Persephone selfishly wanted to put some of the blame on Annis.

If her lover, one that she still refused to name, had such importance to her, then she could go off and be with him!

Going back to her old tricks and sneaking past Nymphs, Persephone had skillfully avoided Annis' watchful eyes and managed to slip out of the castle undetected.

Nyx must have sensed Persephone's presence near Tartarus as she tiptoed her way to the gazebo in the forest. A familiar head of flowing black hair and pale skin greeted her when Persephone stepped beyond the grove of pines and onto the path that lead to the gazebo. Persephone hoped that she would find Nyx here.

She wanted the quiet countenance of this new friend instead of the fiery and bold spirit of Annis. The ancient goddess flashed her a morose smile when she caught sight of her and Persephone wondered if Nyx had heard of the argument between her and Hades. They were close friends, after all.

True, Nyx had heard of the spat, but not from the god himself. He had made his presence scarce and nobody had seen him. He had not come to her seeking council. He had not been seen at the palace in days. Nobody knew where the god had disappeared, but none of them were foolhardy enough to go looking for him.

Persephone wondered what listening ears lurked in the shadows, eavesdropping on their fight and spreading it like wildfire all over the Underworld. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment when Nyx gently explained to her that she was once again the center of the latest gossip.

After that, Persephone steered the conversation away from Hades and to her frightening experience with the Fates; Persephone was anxious to hear about these women from the one who had given them birth. Nyx could not hide her surprise after hearing that Persephone had an encounter with the Fates and at first, was hesitant to tell Persephone about them. But when she persisted, admitting that she argued with Hades because of something that they had told her, Nyx conceded.

"Clotho, lachesis, Atropos." Nyx revealed the names of her daughters to Persephone while they waded in the flowing grass that brushed against their waists.

"Clotho is the first of the three; her appearance is that of a young woman, reflecting the youth and newness of life. She spins the thread of life from her distaff onto her spindle. When she has spun the thread to her liking, she hands it over to Lachesis. This daughter of mine measures the thread of life allotted to each mortal, and holds never-ending threads for us immortals. When her task is complete, the thread goes to the last woman. Atropos, the one you call the Crone, is the cutter of the thread of life. Her face is that of an aged woman, to represent the end of a mortal's life; decrepit and worn. This daughter...she chooses the manner of each person's death; when she has sensed that their time is coming to an end, she cuts their life-thread with her dreaded shears."

The immortal women fell silent as Persephone pondered this new information. A gust of wind blew and their skirts billowed behind them. A thousand questions danced on the tip of her tongue and Persephone could not pick one to ask. Nyx took the silence as a cue to further explain the nature of the Fates.

"The Fates, the Moirai as they are often called, they hold the threads of the future for both mortals and immortals alike. What they told you was true; not even the mightiest god of us all can escape the destiny that the Fates foretell."

"But is it truly inescapable, or is that something that they say so that nobody will try to rebel against their power and everyone will do exactly as the Fates want them to do?" Persephone argued. Part of her held suspicion that these so called Fates were truly as powerful as they claimed.

"Oh, Persephone, you speak as if the Fates hold any power over destiny itself," Nyx chided in a manner that one would correct a child. "They are the ones who act in destiny's will. They do not control what happens; destiny speaks to them and they listen. That is how they measure the time of one's life and how they know when to snap the thread."

"So if the Fates cannot be swayed to change the future, then there is no escape from my fate of darkness?" Persephone grumbled. She stopped in her pace, letting Nyx take a few steps ahead of her before the goddess, too, stopped. She turned around and gazed back at Persephone with a question unasked on her lips.

Persephone glanced past Nyx and followed the trail ahead of them, the dirt path twisting in the grass until it led to that horrid mound.

"Do my own choices matter if there is no free will?" Persephone asked with her gaze trained up at the hill where the Fates resided. Nyx smiled a mirthless smile and also turned her sights upward at the mound.

"Fate. Destiny. Free will." The goddess sighed. "What does it all mean to us beings, gods and goddesses and humans? You are not the first to question the Fates. It is not so straightforward as a simple inquiry that begs for a simple answer. You are facing a puzzling riddle that cannot be solved. Fate can be tricky, destiny fickle, and free will, complex."

Nyx continued on when Persephone offered no reply. "Some find it a comfort to blindly follow a course, flowing with the current without a struggle. Then there are those who seek to find a new current, much like yourself. The gods and goddesses and humans were given free will to make choice after choice after choice. We are not like the beasts of the earth in that regard, who have no choice but to follow instinct and commands of their masters. Countless choices will lie ahead of you in your life, Persephone and each choice you make will carry you to your destiny. There is a fate for everyone. Each of us follows a path, whether it is chosen for us or we chose it for ourselves. It is in a sense, unavoidable because it is inevitable. You have a fate. A destiny. Something in your life will unfold, but your own choices will determine how that will play out."

Her heart skipped inside her chest and for the first time in days, Persephone felt a weight ease from her shoulders.

"So...does this mean that I can choose my own fate?" She asked carefully, not wanting to raise her hopes too high before they were dashed to pieces.

"The answer is both yes…" Nyx answered, turning back to the younger goddess. "And no." Was her grave reply, but Persephone did not let that steal away her hope.

"The Fates told me that my future is darkness...what could that mean?" Persephone inquired. Nyx closed the gap between them and rested a comforting hand on her shoulders.

"I cannot say for certain what they mean by that. Only the Fates know and they would never tell you directly. They do not believe that there should be an influence on one's destiny; that is why they chided Demeter for trying so hard to control your fate herself. Part of me wonders if somehow, your mother was told that someday you would be put in terrible danger and she took extreme measures to prevent your suffering."

Persephone did not admit this to Nyx, but after her experience with the strange sisters, she too, wondered if her mother had tried to avoid a fate that she feared coming to pass. Nyx seemed to take Persephone's silence as sadness, for she gave her arm a gentle tug.

"Do not be so discouraged! What they told you might not mean that your fate is terrible. My daughters are cryptic and speak in riddles. There are going to be circumstances that are beyond our control but it is how you chose to react to them that will determine your outcome. At least, that is what I have come to believe in my long life." Persephone let herself become lost in her thoughts instead of replying to Nyx, even though her continued silence worried the goddess.

Everything that Nyx had just said resonated with her. She took this as a sign that she needed to at least try to take her fate in her own hands. This string that supposedly tied her to Hades could not be so unbreakable as the Fates had led her to believe. Persephone herself should be the master of her life! She could not let Hades or Annis or Nyx or even Demeter determine the course of her fate. If there were choices that could manipulate the outcome of her destiny, then Persephone would do everything in her power to make her fate her own.

"Persephone? My dear, what is going on in that mind of yours?" Nyx could not help herself. She laid her free hand on Persephone's other shoulder and turned the goddess until hazel eyes met with gray. Persephone blinked rapidly a few times to break herself out of her hazy thoughts.

"You have given me much to think about. Thank you, Nyx, for speaking truth to me," she finally spoke with her voice in a whisper that was nearly swept away by the wind. "I have one more question, however. Why are you and Annis and now Hades too, I suppose, all so adamant against me seeing Rhadamanthus? Annis loathes the man, so her judgement, to me, seems harsh and exaggerated. Tell me, is he really this scoundrel that she makes him out to be?"

Nyx's face broke out into a grin.

"Our little Annis does have a flair for the dramatic, that much is true," she jested as she threw her arm around Persephone's shoulders and turned her away from the Fate's hilltop.

"But the heart of what she tells you is not false," Nyx grew serious while she and Persephone strolled with their backs to the mound and in the direction of the downward sloping path that would lead them through the piney woods. "The Judge that dwells in the Elysian Fields is one to be wary of. I would not suggest taking him up on his offer and going to meet him at his home. Rhadamanthus is…" Nyx let her words fade into the air and her forehead wrinkled as she frowned in obvious dislike.

"He can be enticing and interesting and exciting, but I fear you entangling yourself with him." She finished with a grimace. "I admire you for discovering your boldness and releasing your inner spirit in the short time that you have dwelled in the Underworld. But my fear is that you still might be...naive of the darkness and cruelty of the world. You have only heard of it from others, and have not often experienced it for yourself. I do not want your budding spirit to be crushed before it has a chance to bloom."

Persephone's first gut reaction was to take offense at Nyx's doubt in her, but instead of arguing against the idea that she was a naive, innocent girl, Persephone considered Nyx's warning. Perhaps, Nyx was not wrong? Her heavily sheltered life with its rules and regulations and restrictions had not enabled her to truly experience what it mean to live. She had found a taste of that freedom of life here in the Underworld, of all places, but what else was out there in the world for her to discover?

Far too much.

The pair of goddesses followed the path as it slipped into the woods. The pine trees overhead cast them into a shadowy world and Persephone found herself walking close to Nyx's side. She found herself uneasy in the darkness as of late, and it brought her a sense of safety to have such a powerful goddess as Nyx with her here. She seemed to have resigned herself to the fact that Persephone was through discussing anything and did not press her to speak anymore.

As much as she loathed to admit it, Nyx spoke the truth. Persephone found herself ignorant of life outside of her cozy home. A flame of rebellion rose up within her. Persephone wants to seek out Rhadamanthus not only to satisfy her curiosity about that strangely beautiful man, but to also to prove to herself that she could handle her own in the face of a supposed danger.

Persephone pulled against that damned thread that bound her to Hades. She resented the god for binding them together without her permission and she sought to take that thread out of his hands and put it into hers. Even if she was to live inside of his realm for the rest of eternity, Persephone would try to manipulate her fate as much as she possibly could. And this chance to see Rhadamanthus, to make a choice that could possibly change her future…

It was her future at stake, after all. She believed that she had the right to steer her own course, for good or bad.

Silently, Persephone made up her mind.

Nyx and Annis would not need to know.

Yes, she might be making a foolish choice. That possibility could not be denied. But Persephone wanted to make this choice for herself. Making a decision, whether it be foolish or wise, would perhaps show her who she truly was and what she truly wanted.

* * *

A sweeping white wall raised with white marble gleamed like a thousand pearls under the dusky sky. The gates shined with an enticing gleam and Persephone hovered her palm over the smooth metal, waiting for the moment when she would push them open.

The minutes ticked by at a furious pace as her trembling hand somehow could not touch that gate. Annis' heated warnings and Nyx's cautious fears resounded inside of her mind like a pair of ceaseless clanging bells. Persephone curled her fingers into a fist and willed those bells to end their screeching.

This was her choice.

She wanted to do this to ensure that her meetings with Hermes would stay secret.

She wanted to prove to herself, and to Nyx and Demeter and Annis and Hades, that she was capable of handling herself. They all thought of her as so weak and naive. Perhaps this was a chance to prove that her growing spirit could tackle the likes of Rhadamanthus.

And also...this Judge intrigued her. With his silver hair and icy eyes and biting tongue, he already proved himself to be vastly different than that brooding god who held her captive. Her resentment at Hades bubbled angrily in her stomach. Their harsh words still haunted her. His crestfallen face refused to leave her be.

The fact that he was off somewhere in the Underworld, pouting like a child because he was jealous—

Persephone huffed and finally allowed her palm to push the gates open. As if they were expecting her, the heavy metal gate swung open with extraordinary ease. A gravel path lined with ancient olive trees stretched out before her.

With a pounding heart and her ears ringing, Persephone tiptoed inside the entrance to the Elysian Fields. This world did not hold the same suffocating heaviness as Hades' Underworld. There was a lightness in the air that Persephone breathed in and to her, it felt a bit like stepping back into the land of the living. Behind her, those gates swung, the hinges creaking in the still world, and closed of their own accord. Persephone paid them no mind, not even sparing a glance at the gloomy Underworld as she crept further into this new, unknown land. She had not gone a few tenuous paces until a velvety voice above her crooned.

"Well, well, well. I see that I have a visitor."

Persephone whipped her head upwards, instantly catching a glimpse of a man perched in the branches that arched over the pathway. She tried to tame her lips as they tried to curl into a smile. Rhadamanthus lightly hopped from the low-hanging branch, his feet crunching softly on the gravel as he landed gracefully. Persephone's cheeks were aflame as the man's icy eyes traveled over her face, the triumph he exuded unmistakable and undisguised.

"Shall we?" He asked as he flashed her a mischievous smile. Rhadamanthus offered his arm to Persephone and she hesitated for a breath of a second, thinking of Annis and Nyx and their earnest protests against her seeing this man.

And she thought of Hades. She thought of his jealousy. His sorrow. The string that bound her to him and how he had unwittingly proved her darkest fears by asking her to stay away from this Judge that she now stood before.

That fear of her fate…

Fear of her fate drove her to make this choice.

So she wound her arm through Rhadamanthus' and let this man lead her further into Elysian and further from Hades and his realm of darkness.

 **Hades**

He watched with a sinking heart as the gates of the Elysian Fields closed shut and Persephone was lost from his sight. The god leaned heavily against a boulder near the entrance, the very same one that Persephone had attempted to hide behind when she followed him across the Asphodel Fields.

Stone crumbled beneath his hands as he pressed against the stone, letting his seething fury release as his heart shattered. Every inch of his being screamed at him to rush into Elysian and snatch Persephone from Rhadamanthus.

But here he stood, fighting against his desires and instincts and watching as she went willingly to another man.

 _"If you love me, then you would let me go home."_

Persephone had used his own vulnerability in an attempt to guilt him into letting her go. Hades had refused. How could he? She knew how tightly his hands were tied!

But he could not see how she was wrong. If Hades did truly love her and if he could not ever let her be free from his world, then he would have to allow her to live freely within this world.

Even if that meant that he would have to watch her wrap her arm through another's and be led down a path that took her from him, Hades would allow it. He would endure it. She deserved to try and find a modicum of happiness and freedom in this life that he damned her to.

So he let her go and watched goddess that he want to love chose another.


End file.
